Western Financial Corp CA Buys New Stake in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Western Financial Corp CA purchased a new stake in CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 52,621 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock, valued at approximately $4,509,000. CVS Health comprises about 1.5% of Western Financial Corp CA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in CVS Health by 83.6% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,089,694 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $112,729,000 after acquiring an additional 496,124 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas boosted 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 in the last quarter. Nykredit A S purchased a new position in shares of CVS Health during the second quarter worth about $209,813,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of CVS Health during the second quarter worth about $49,622,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of CVS Health by 13.7% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,228,069 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $87,459,000 after purchasing an additional 147,827 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

CVS Health News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Aetna Medicare Advantage quality ratings: More than 69% of Aetna’s Medicare Advantage members are enrolled in plans rated at least four stars for 2027. The result marks Aetna’s third consecutive year as one of the highest-performing large publicly traded Medicare Advantage providers and could support member retention, bonuses and the health-insurance segment’s turnaround. Aetna 2027 Star Ratings Reflect Strong Clinical Quality and Member Experience
• Positive Sentiment: MinuteClinic accreditation renewed: MinuteClinic earned its seventh consecutive Joint Commission accreditation, with approximately 80% of surveyed locations offering primary care. Continued accreditation reinforces CVS’s positioning in retail and accessible outpatient healthcare services. MinuteClinic earns seventh consecutive Joint Commission accreditation
• Positive Sentiment: New pharmacy-focused location: CVS opened its first pharmacy-focused site in the Boston area, aimed at improving access to medications, immunizations and pharmacy care. The initiative could strengthen local prescription and clinical-service access, though its near-term financial impact is likely limited. CVS Pharmacy Celebrates Opening of First Pharmacy-Focused Location in Boston Area
• Neutral Sentiment: Opioid case resolution provides certainty: CVS Pharmacy and related entities agreed to pay $315 million to resolve Justice Department allegations involving unlawful controlled-substance dispensing and false claims to federal programs. CVS admitted no wrongdoing and disputed the allegations; the settlement ends the case but includes enhanced prescription-monitoring obligations. CVS Agrees to Pay $315M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions
• Negative Sentiment: Material legal and compliance cost: The $315 million payment reduces cash flow and profit while tighter DEA oversight could increase operating costs and constrain pharmacy prescription volumes. The allegations also renew concerns about historical controls and executive accountability, creating a negative overhang despite the case’s resolution. CVS to Pay $315 Million to Settle Opioid Allegations

CVS Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CVS traded up $2.87 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $90.42. 9,331,173 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,352,747. The stock has a market cap of $115.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.92, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.60. CVS Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $69.51 and a 1 year high of $110.68. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $91.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $92.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74.

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

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.6650 per share. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 22nd. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio is 70.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CVS. HSBC reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of CVS Health in a report on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded CVS Health from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Bank of America lifted their price target on CVS Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on CVS Health from $111.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on CVS Health from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, CVS Health presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.80.

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.