Providence First Trust Co Buys New Holdings in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Providence First Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 8,535 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock, valued at approximately $677,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CVS. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of CVS Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $485,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its stake in shares of CVS Health by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 176,368 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $13,997,000 after buying an additional 1,381 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in CVS Health by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 3,328 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 307 shares during the period. Garner Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in CVS Health during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its position in CVS Health by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 3,769 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $299,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. 80.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CVS Health Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE CVS opened at $80.67 on Wednesday. CVS Health Corporation has a 52-week low of $58.35 and a 52-week high of $85.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $76.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $77.96. The firm has a market cap of $103.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.60.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.36. CVS Health had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 0.44%.The company had revenue of $100.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Equities analysts predict that CVS Health Corporation will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 23rd were given a dividend of $0.665 per share. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 23rd. CVS Health’s payout ratio is presently 192.75%.

Key Stories Impacting CVS Health

Here are the key news stories impacting CVS Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CVS Caremark will expand adoption of lower‑cost biosimilars across its commercial formularies effective July 1, preferring interchangeable biosimilars over certain reference brands — a move that should lower drug spend for clients and improve PBM margins. PR Newswire: CVS Caremark Expands Biosimilar Adoption
• Positive Sentiment: CVS said it will prefer lower‑cost interchangeable biosimilars over J&J’s Stelara on its main formularies starting July 1 — a direct cost‑management step that can improve margins but may pressure revenues for affected brand drugs. Reuters: CVS to drop J&J’s Stelara
• Positive Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target on CVS to $85 (hold), signaling modest analyst confidence in upside tied to the company’s earnings and cost actions. That provides some near‑term support for the stock. MarketScreener: HSBC adjusts price target on CVS
• Positive Sentiment: Media and commentators (including Jim Cramer) are expressing optimism that CVS will report a strong quarter, which can buoy sentiment into earnings. InsiderMonkey: Jim Cramer on CVS quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor previews and analysts flag Q1 results and cost trends/margins as the main near‑term focus; outcomes on utilization and PBM pricing will determine stock direction after the print. MSN: CVS Q1 earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes investors are watching cost trends and margins closely in the upcoming earnings release; PBM results and medical cost trajectories will be key. Seeking Alpha: CVS earnings in focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts/press point to two hurdles in the quarter (operational/cost execution and broader healthcare demand); Aetna’s strength in Medicare Advantage is a stabilizer but may not fully offset other pressures. Yahoo Finance: Two hurdles to clear
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS Health Ventures made a strategic investment in Fathom to accelerate autonomous coding — a longer‑term efficiency play that could reduce administrative costs across the enterprise. Yahoo Finance: Fathom secures investment
• Negative Sentiment: An opinion piece questions the CVS affiliation with Mass General Brigham — while the partnership could expand primary‑care access, it raises concerns about costs, care continuity and potential regulatory/competitive scrutiny that could complicate execution and investor sentiment. Boston Globe: CVS affiliation with Mass General Brigham
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry retail shakeups (reports of rivals closing stores) highlight tough store economics in some markets — an indirect signal that pharmacy/retail footprint optimization remains relevant for CVS strategy. TheStreet: Competitor store closures

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on CVS. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on CVS Health from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Wolfe Research decreased their target price on shares of CVS Health from $100.00 to $97.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of CVS Health from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $91.00 to $94.00 in a report on Thursday, March 12th. HSBC lifted their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of CVS Health from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CVS Health presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.61.

CVS Health Profile

CVS Health Corporation is a diversified healthcare company that operates a large network of retail pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management services and health care solutions. Headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the company traces its roots to the early 1960s and has grown into an integrated provider of prescription drugs, over‑the‑counter products, clinical services and health insurance offerings. Its operating model combines retail pharmacy locations and in‑store clinics with broader pharmacy and health plan capabilities.

Key business activities include CVS Pharmacy retail operations, MinuteClinic walk‑in medical clinics and HealthHUB locations that offer expanded clinical services.