Leerink Partners Issues Pessimistic Forecast for CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Stock Price

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) had its target price reduced by equities research analysts at Leerink Partners from $119.00 to $112.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the pharmacy operator’s stock. Leerink Partners’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 27.85% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $111.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of CVS Health in a report on Friday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of CVS Health from $106.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Argus upped their target price on shares of CVS Health from $104.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.80.

CVS Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CVS opened at $87.60 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $112.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.60. CVS Health has a 1-year low of $69.51 and a 1-year high of $110.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $92.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $92.73.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.71. The company had revenue of $106.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.03 billion. CVS Health had a net margin of 1.18% and a return on equity of 13.12%. The company’s revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.100 EPS. Equities analysts predict that CVS Health will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in CVS Health by 83.6% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,089,694 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $112,729,000 after buying an additional 496,124 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas lifted its stake in CVS Health by 105.2% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 49,971 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $5,154,000 after acquiring an additional 25,617 shares during the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in CVS Health in the second quarter valued at $209,813,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of CVS Health in the 2nd quarter valued at about $49,622,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of CVS Health by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,228,069 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $87,459,000 after acquiring an additional 147,827 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: Aetna reported that more than 69% of its Medicare Advantage members are enrolled in plans rated four stars or higher for 2027. Strong CMS Star Ratings can support member retention, enrollment growth and potential quality-related revenue. Aetna 2027 Star Ratings Reflect Strong Clinical Quality and Member Experience
• Positive Sentiment: McKesson reached an agreement in principle to extend its pharmaceutical distribution partnership with CVS through June 2032, supporting continuity across CVS’s retail, mail-order, specialty and distribution operations. McKesson Extends CVS Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Leerink Partners lowered its CVS price target to $112 from $119 but maintained an “outperform” rating, indicating continued confidence in the long-term opportunity while reflecting more cautious assumptions. CVS Health Price Target Cut by Leerink Partners
• Negative Sentiment: CVS Pharmacy and related entities agreed to pay $315 million to resolve a U.S. Justice Department case alleging that the company improperly filled controlled-substance prescriptions and fraudulently billed federal healthcare programs over a 12-year period. CVS reportedly denied wrongdoing and did not admit liability, but the settlement creates a substantial near-term cost and renews regulatory and compliance concerns. The agreement also includes enhanced oversight of controlled-substance dispensing. CVS Agrees to $315 Million DOJ Opioid Prescription Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Healthcare stocks broadly weakened late in the session, adding sector-level pressure to CVS alongside the company-specific settlement news. Healthcare Stocks Fall Late Afternoon

About CVS Health

CVS Health Corp. is an integrated health care company that provides pharmacy, insurance and health services primarily in the United States. Its operations are designed to connect consumers, health plans, health care providers and pharmacy services across multiple points of care.

The company’s major businesses include CVS Pharmacy retail locations, prescription fulfillment and consumer health products; CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefit management business; and Aetna, which offers health insurance products and related services for employers, individuals, government programs and other organizations.