CVS Health Corporation provides health solutions in the United States. It operates through Health Care Benefits, Health Services, and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segments. The Health Care Benefits segment offers traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services. It serves employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. The Health Services segment offers pharmacy benefit management solutions, including plan design and administration, formulary management, retail pharmacy network management, specialty and mail order pharmacy, clinical, disease management, and medical spend management services. It serves employers, insurance companies, unions, government employee groups, health plans, prescription drug plans, Medicaid managed care plans, CMS, plans offered on public health insurance, and other sponsors of health benefit plans. The Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segment sells prescription and over-the-counter drugs, consumer health and beauty products, and personal care products. This segment also distributes prescription drugs; and provides related pharmacy consulting and other ancillary services to care facilities and other care settings. It operates online retail pharmacy websites, LTC pharmacies and on-site pharmacies, retail specialty pharmacy stores, compounding pharmacies and branches for infusion and enteral nutrition services. The company was formerly known as CVS Caremark Corporation and changed its name to CVS Health Corporation in September 2014. CVS Health Corporation was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

CVS Health Corporation демонстрирует смешанную фундаментальную картину. С одной стороны, компания обладает высоким уровнем выручки, значительно превышающей медиану отрасли, что является положительным фактором. Однако, множественные показатели, такие как P/E, P/B и P/S, значительно выше медианных значений, что указывает на возможную переоцененность акций. Долговая нагрузка также вызывает опасения, так как коэффициент долга к капиталу значительно выше медианы. При этом, рентабельность (ROE, ROA) и маржи находятся на критически низких уровнях по сравнению с отраслью, что указывает на слабую операционную эффективность. Дивидендная доходность также снизилась, что может негативно сказаться на привлечении инвесторов. Несмотря на высокий уровень активов и значительную долю собственного капитала, текущее состояние компании вызывает вопросы о ее способности генерировать устойчивую прибыль в будущем. В целом, текущие метрики и их динамика предполагают необходимость пересмотра целевой цены акций, учитывая риски и неопределенности в финансовых показателях.

CVS Health Corporation

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for CVS Health (CVS). Shares have lost about 1.7% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is CVS Health due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for CVS Health Corporation before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
CVS Health Tops Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
CVS Health posted fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $1.09, down 8.4% year over year. The metric, however, topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.1%. The adjusted EPS figure considers certain asset amortization costs, acquisition-related integration costs and other adjustments.
On a reported basis, the company’s fourth-quarter GAAP earnings were $2.30 per share, up 76.9% year over year.
Full-year adjusted earnings per share was $6.75, increasing 24.5% from 2024 and beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.5%.
Revenues
Revenues rose 8.2% year over year to $105.69 billion. The top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.2%. This year-over-year upside was driven by revenue growth across all segments.
For 2025, total revenues came in at $402.07 billion, rising 7.8% from 2024 and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.6%.
Detailed Analysis of CVS’ Q4 Revenues
Health Services revenues increased 9% year over year to $51.24 billion, mainly driven by pharmacy drug mix and brand inflation, partially offset by continued pharmacy client price improvements.
Total pharmacy claims processed fell 7.5% on a 30-day equivalent basis compared with the prior-year level.
Revenues in the Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segment rose 12.4% year over year to $37.66 billion. The upside was primarily driven by the pharmacy drug mix and increased prescription volume, including incremental volume resulting from the company’s Rite Aid prescription file acquisitions, partially offset by continued pharmacy reimbursement pressure and the impact of recent generic drug introductions.
Within the Health Care Benefits segment, the company registered revenues worth $36.29 billion, up 10.1% year over year. This upside was driven by increases in the Government business, largely due to the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on the Medicare Part D program.
CVS’ Margin Performance
The combined cost of products sold and healthcare costs rose 8.6% to $92.13 billion in the fourth quarter. Gross profit jumped 5.2% to $13.57 billion. Yet the gross margin contracted 37 basis points (bps) to 12.8%.
Adjusted operating margin in the quarter under review contracted 44 bps to 1.9% despite an 8.9% rise in total operating expenses ($11.46 billion).
Liquidity Position of CVS
CVS Health exited 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $8.45 billion compared with $8.59 billion at the end of 2024. The long-term debt was $64.57 billion compared with $64.15 billion in the previous quarter.
The cumulative net cash provided by operating activities at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 was $10.64 billion, compared with $9.11 billion in the year-ago period.
CVS’ 2026 Guidance
CVS Health issued its 2026 adjusted earnings per share guidance in the range of $7.00-$7.20. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the metric is currently pegged at $7.15.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates revision.
VGM Scores
Currently, CVS Health has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a C. However, the stock was allocated a score of A on the value side, putting it in the top quintile for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, CVS Health has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
CVS Health belongs to the Zacks Medical Services industry. Another stock from the same industry, HCA Healthcare (HCA), has gained 1.1% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended December 2025.
HCA reported revenues of $19.51 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +6.7%. EPS of $8.01 for the same period compares with $6.22 a year ago.
HCA is expected to post earnings of $7.19 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +11.5%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.3%.
The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for HCA. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of A.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why Is CVS Health (CVS) Down 1.7% Since Last Earnings Report?

Key Points
These two healthcare leaders have businesses built to withstand economic downturns.
Both have grown their dividends at a pretty good clip over the past decade.
It's always hard to predict whether a recession is coming. Even in the current environment marked by serious geopolitical tensions and lingering tariff-related volatility, some experts believe we will go through 2026 without experiencing a full-blown recession. However, it's also always a good idea for individual investors to hold shares of companies that can perform relatively well during economic downturns, even if there isn't one on the horizon. Let's consider two corporations that have what it takes to overcome recessions: CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD).
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
1. CVS Health
CVS Health is a leading pharmacy chain with over 9,000 locations across the U.S. Beyond the number of stores it owns, CVS has been around a while and has built relationships with communities. Some people have been getting prescription medicines from the company for years. CVS Health's business might be affected in the case of a recession. The company isn't just a pharmacy; it is also a bit of a convenience store. However, its diversified healthcare business, spanning pharmacy services, primary care, and health insurance, should navigate challenging economic times better than most, allowing it to maintain decent earnings.
CVS Health has encountered some headwinds in recent years. The company was unable to contain costs within its Medicare Advantage (MA) business, for instance. But the healthcare leader rebounded last year and is still making changes that should help improve its margins and overall financial results. That includes CVS Health's decision to scale back its MA business to focus on profitable growth. Lastly, the stock offers an attractive yield of 3.4% -- compared to the S&P 500's 1.2% -- and it has increased its dividend by 56.5% over the past decade. CVS Health is a solid recession-resistant stock to add to your portfolio.
2. Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences is a leading biotech with a deep product portfolio. The company is particularly known for its work in the HIV market. Gilead Sciences boasts some of the leading HIV medicines, including Biktarvy, as well as Descovy for PrEP. It has also made a push in oncology in recent years, while its Veklury was the first medicine for COVID-19 to be approved in the U.S.
Gilead Sciences' products, particularly its key HIV franchise, are the sort patients will fight tooth and nail to keep accessing, even during a recession. That's why the company's business should perform reasonably well even in an economic downturn. And although sales growth hasn't been strong of late -- partly due to Veklury's fluctuating and sometimes disappointing revenue -- Gilead Sciences has a deep pipeline, especially in oncology, that should allow it to launch brand-new products and boost its sales.
Lastly, there is Gilead Sciences' strong dividend program. The company's forward yield tops 2.3%, while it has increased its payouts by 90.7% over the past decade. Gilead Sciences can help anchor a well-diversified portfolio when the going gets rough.
Should you buy stock in CVS Health right now?
Before you buy stock in CVS Health, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and CVS Health wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $530,233!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,119,682!*
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Prosper Junior Bakiny has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool recommends CVS Health. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off.

2 Recession-Resistant Dividend Stocks to Buy Now

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Vanguard Health Care ETF (Symbol: VHT) where we have detected an approximate $116.6 million dollar outflow -- that's a 0.7% decrease week over week (from 60,156,785 to 59,747,167). Among the largest underlying components of VHT, in trading today CVS Health Corporation (Symbol: CVS) is down about 1.6%, HCA Healthcare Inc (Symbol: HCA) is down about 1.4%, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Symbol: REGN) is lower by about 1.1%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the VHT Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of VHT, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, VHT's low point in its 52 week range is $234.11 per share, with $298.6068 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $280.49. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
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Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
Also see:
Stock Buybacks
AVNI Insider Buying
Funds Holding KFI
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

VHT, CVS, HCA, REGN: ETF Outflow Alert

Key Points
CVS Health is making changes that could improve its business this year.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals should see strong commercial and clinical progress in 2026.
Will the healthcare sector finally rebound in 2026, after underperforming broader equities in recent years? It's hard to know for sure. But rather than avoiding the entire industry because of recent history, it's worth looking at individual healthcare stocks with strong prospects and buying them right now.
Two attractive candidates to consider are CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX).
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
1. CVS Health
CVS Health bounced back in 2025. The company's share price soared by more than 70% on the back of improved financial results. In 2026, the company has the potential to maintain that momentum. CVS Health plans to trim its business this year, notably by scaling back its Medicare Advantage (MA) business, where it has been struggling to contain costs, leading to lower margins. CVS' health insurance division, Aetna, is also planning to exit the Obamacare (also known as the Affordable Care Act) marketplace this year.
These initiatives signal the company's decision to focus more on long-term profitable growth rather than short-term revenue boosts. Will they have a significant impact on CVS' financial results in 2026? Probably not, but CVS Health is positioning itself to be a higher-margin, more profitable healthcare leader over the long run.
Given the company's vast healthcare ecosystem, deep footprint across the U.S., and relationships with customers, CVS' ongoing efforts make its long-term outlook even more attractive. That's why the stock is a buy this month, at least for investors willing to hold it for the long term.
2. Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotech leader, could have important catalysts this year. First, the company's newer launches, Journavx for acute pain and Casgevy for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, should make meaningful progress. The company projects these products will generate at least $500 million in sales this year. That's not that much. The drugmaker's total revenue in 2025 was $12 billion.
However, Vertex has relied exclusively on its cystic fibrosis (CF) franchise to drive growth for a long time. Casgevy and Journavx are steadily ramping up their sales and could meaningfully contribute to top-line growth in the coming years. Second, Vertex Pharmaceuticals should make important clinical and regulatory progress in 2026. The company plans to request approval for zimislecel, an investigational medicine for Type 1 diabetes, this year.
It should also release data from phase 3 studies for next-gen programs, including povetacicept for IgA Nephropathy and inaxaplin for APOL-1 mediated kidney disease. With these in its back pocket, Vertex Pharmaceuticals' lineup will become even stronger and more diversified.
The company can still ride its CF franchise for a while, but these newer products will ensure that, even if it encounters competition in its core area of expertise (it hasn't had any meaningful competition yet), it can overcome it. Vertex's strong lineup and innovative streak make the stock a buy this month.
Should you buy stock in CVS Health right now?
Before you buy stock in CVS Health, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and CVS Health wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $445,995!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,198,823!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 927% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 194% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of February 26, 2026.
Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool recommends CVS Health. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

2 Top Healthcare Stocks to Buy in February

Investors in CVS Health Corporation (Symbol: CVS) saw new options begin trading today, for the April 10th expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the CVS options chain for the new April 10th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.
The put contract at the $75.00 strike price has a current bid of $1.76. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $75.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $73.24 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of CVS, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $77.84/share today.
Because the $75.00 strike represents an approximate 4% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 64%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 2.35% return on the cash commitment, or 19.94% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.
Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for CVS Health Corporation, and highlighting in green where the $75.00 strike is located relative to that history:
Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $87.00 strike price has a current bid of 50 cents. If an investor was to purchase shares of CVS stock at the current price level of $77.84/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $87.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 12.41% if the stock gets called away at the April 10th expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if CVS shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for CVS Health Corporation, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing CVS's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $87.00 strike highlighted in red:
Considering the fact that the $87.00 strike represents an approximate 12% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 82%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 0.64% boost of extra return to the investor, or 5.46% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.
The implied volatility in the put contract example is 41%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 32%.
Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 251 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $77.84) to be 31%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
FLIC YTD Return
PRIM Price Target
Global Payments MACD
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

April 10th Options Now Available For CVS Health

Looking at the sectors faring worst as of midday Tuesday, shares of Energy companies are underperforming other sectors, showing a 0.4% loss. Within that group, ONEOK Inc (Symbol: OKE) and EQT Corp (Symbol: EQT) are two large stocks that are lagging, showing a loss of 5.2% and 1.7%, respectively. Among energy ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLE), which is down 0.2% on the day, and up 23.09% year-to-date. ONEOK Inc, meanwhile, is up 14.07% year-to-date, and EQT Corp is up 8.55% year-to-date. Combined, OKE and EQT make up approximately 5.1% of the underlying holdings of XLE.
The next worst performing sector is the Healthcare sector, higher by 0.3%. Among large Healthcare stocks, Molina Healthcare Inc (Symbol: MOH) and CVS Health Corporation (Symbol: CVS) are the most notable, showing a loss of 4.2% and 3.7%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Healthcare stocks is the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV), which is down 0.3% in midday trading, and up 2.09% on a year-to-date basis. Molina Healthcare Inc, meanwhile, is down 13.78% year-to-date, and CVS Health Corporation, is down 5.74% year-to-date. Combined, MOH and CVS make up approximately 1.8% of the underlying holdings of XLV.
Comparing these stocks and ETFs on a trailing twelve month basis, below is a relative stock price performance chart, with each of the symbols shown in a different color as labeled in the legend at the bottom:
Here's a snapshot of how the S&P 500 components within the various sectors are faring in afternoon trading on Tuesday. As you can see, eight sectors are up on the day, while one sector is down.
Technology & Communications
+1.6%
Also see:
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Tuesday Sector Laggards: Energy, Healthcare

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What are the Zacks Style Scores?
Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value Score
Finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth Score
Growth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum Score
Momentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.
VGM Score
What if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank
The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.
A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: CVS Health (CVS)
Headquartered in Woonsocket, RI, CVS Health Corporation (formerly known as CVS Caremark Corporation) is a pharmacy innovation company with integrated offerings across the entire spectrum of pharmacy care. On Sep 3, 2014, CVS Caremark Corporation announced a change of its corporate name to CVS Health to reflect its broader healthcare commitment.
CVS is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. CVS has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 6.1% for the current fiscal year.
For fiscal 2026, four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.01 to $7.16 per share. CVS boasts an average earnings surprise of +20.6%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, CVS should be on investors' short list.
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From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Here's Why CVS Health (CVS) is a Strong Growth Stock

Key Points
The firm sold 335,500 shares during the fourth quarter.
It no longer holds any Sealed Air shares.
Sealed Air had accounted for 2.4% of Kiltearn’s AUM in the previous quarter
Kiltearn Partners LLP fully exited its position in Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE:SEE), selling 335,500 shares in the fourth quarter, according to a Feb. 13 SEC filing
It sold 335,500 shares in Sealed Air
The fund doesn’t hold any Sealed Air shares
Sealed Air had accounted for 2.4% of Kiltearn’s AUM in the previous quarter
What else to know
Top holdings after the filing:
NYSE: AMG: $68.2 million (14.8% of AUM)
NYSE: DG: $42.0 million (9.1% of AUM)
NYSE: CVS: $35.1 million (7.6% of AUM)
NYSE: LUV: $29.5 million (6.4% of AUM)
NASDAQ: CMCSA: $28.9 million (6.3% of AUM)
Company overview
Price (as of market close 2/13/26)
$41.93
Market Capitalization
$6.2 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$5.3 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$396.4 million
Company snapshot
Sealed Air provides packaging and protective solutions in food safety and product protection markets. The company leverages proprietary brands and automation technologies to address critical needs in food preservation and secure product delivery. Sealed Air Corporation serves a diversified customer base.
Provides packaging materials, automation equipment, and protective solutions, with key brands including CRYOVAC, BUBBLE WRAP, and AUTOBAG.
Generates revenue by supplying integrated packaging systems and consumables to food processors and industrial clients, with a focus on automation, food safety, and protective packaging.
Serves food processors, e-commerce businesses, consumer goods companies, pharmaceutical firms, and industrial manufacturers globally.
What this transaction means for investors
Kiltearn Partners continues to hold only 28 positions, according to its 13F filing. Hence, it has a concentrated portfolio.
The 28 holdings had a value of $461.7 million at the end of 2025. Its five largest positions accounted for over 44% of its AUM. Its positions ranged from 0.8% to 14.8% of AUM.
Previously, Sealed Air, while not one of its top 10 holdings, made up a significant 2.4% of Kiltearn’s AUM.
Sealed Air’s shares have performed well over the last year. Including dividends, the stock returned 26.3%, nearly double the S&P 500 index’s 13.2%.
Nonetheless, Sealed Air’s third-quarter sales dropped 1% after removing foreign-currency translation effects. For the year, management expects sales to fall by 2% to 3%.
Sealed Air reports fourth-quarter results on March 2.
Should you buy stock in Sealed Air right now?
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Lawrence Rothman, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Affiliated Managers Group, CVS Health, Comcast, and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Kiltearn Partners Exits Sealed Air Position

Biotech Beat Nvidia in 2025. Can It Do It Again?

At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 31 most recent 13F filings for the 12/31/2025 reporting period, and noticed that CVS Health Corporation (Symbol: CVS) was held by 9 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike, we find it is a good idea to take a closer look.
Before we proceed, it is important to point out that 13F filings do not tell the whole story, because these funds are only required to disclose their long positions with the SEC, but are not required to disclose their short positions. A fund making a bearish bet against a stock by shorting calls, for example, might also be long some amount of stock as they trade around their overall bearish position. This long component could show up in a 13F filing and everyone might assume the fund is bullish, but this tells only part of the story because the bearish/short side of the position is not seen.
Having given that caveat, we believe that looking at groups of 13F filings can be revealing, especially when comparing one holding period to another. Below, let's take a look at the change in CVS positions, for this latest batch of 13F filers:
Fund
New Position?
Change In Share Count
Change In Market Value ($ in 1000's)
Aggregate Change:
-101,981
-$6,352
In terms of shares owned, we count 3 of the above funds having increased existing CVS positions from 09/30/2025 to 12/31/2025, with 4 having decreased their positions and 2 new positions.
Looking beyond these particular funds in this one batch of most recent filers, we tallied up the CVS share count in the aggregate among all of the funds which held CVS at the 12/31/2025 reporting period (out of the 4,456 we looked at in total). We then compared that number to the sum total of CVS shares those same funds held back at the 09/30/2025 period, to see how the aggregate share count held by hedge funds has moved for CVS. We found that between these two periods, funds increased their holdings by 8,570,715 shares in the aggregate, from 268,351,485 up to 276,922,200 for a share count increase of approximately 3.19%. The overall top three funds holding CVS on 12/31/2025 were:
»
Fund
Shares of CVS Held
We'll keep following the latest 13F filings by hedge fund managers and bring you interesting stories derived from a look at the aggregate information across groups of managers between filing periods. While looking at individual 13F filings can sometimes be misleading due to the long-only nature of the information, the sum total across groups of funds from one reporting period to another can be a lot more revealing and relevant, providing interesting stock ideas that merit further research, like CVS Health Corporation (Symbol: CVS).
Also see:
Communications Services Dividend Stocks
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding VGK
ZBAO shares outstanding history
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.