cvs health stock guide

CVS Health (CVS) — Stock

This article explains cvs health stock in plain language for investors and market observers. You will learn what cvs health stock represents, where it trades, core business lines, key financials and metrics (with data-date stamps), recent regulatory and market catalysts from major coverage, dividend details, analyst coverage, institutional ownership, risks and trading/derivatives considerations. Practical monitoring tips and where to follow real-time quotes (including using Bitget) are provided at the end.

Note: All time-sensitive figures in this article are marked with dates and named sources. This page is informational and not investment advice.

Company overview

CVS Health Corporation is a publicly traded U.S. healthcare company operating retail pharmacies, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and health plans. The company combines three core segments: Health Care Benefits (insurer operations after the Aetna deal), Health Services (including pharmacy services and Caremark PBM operations) and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness (retail pharmacy and in-store products). CVS traces its origins to the 1960s and is headquartered in the United States. The cvs health stock represents ordinary equity ownership in CVS Health Corporation (ticker CVS) and reflects market expectations about the company's earnings, growth and sector risks.

Ticker and exchange information

• Ticker: CVS
• Primary exchange: New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
• ISIN and other formal identifiers are published on the company's investor-relations pages and regulatory filings (SEC EDGAR).
• Typical U.S. equity trading hours apply (regular session 09:30–16:00 ET; pre- and post-market sessions vary by broker).

This guide refers to cvs health stock as the NYSE-listed equity (CVS). For trade execution and monitoring, major brokerages and platforms (including Bitget) provide market access and real-time prices.

Key stock statistics (snapshot)

The following statistics provide a baseline view of cvs health stock. All figures are time-stamped and sourced where possible.

• Last trade price: $73.26 per share (as of Jan 28, 2026; source: NYSE most active list reported by major outlets).
• Intraday volume example: 2,605,422 shares traded (as of Jan 28, 2026; NYSE activity list).
• Market capitalization: approximately $86.5 billion (as of Jan 28, 2026; source: Yahoo Finance snapshot).
• Shares outstanding / float: reported on company investor relations and regulatory filings (refer to CVS Health IR for the most recent outstanding share count; figures change with buybacks/issuances).
• Price / Earnings (P/E) ratio: reported by data providers and updated daily (see Yahoo Finance, Seeking Alpha for current P/E; example P/E shown there as of Jan 28, 2026).
• Earnings per share (EPS): trailing and forward EPS metrics published in quarterly reports and aggregated by financial data providers.
• Dividend yield: quoted yield varies with share price; see the dividend section below for the declared payment and yield as of Jan 28, 2026 (source: CVS Health IR).
• Beta: volatility measure vs. the market is available from data platforms (TradingView, Yahoo Finance).
• 52-week range: reported by market data providers; used to contextualize current price vs. historical extremes.

Why these metrics matter: market cap gauges company scale; P/E and EPS are core valuation inputs; dividend yield matters for income investors; beta and volume inform trading risk and liquidity.

Historical price performance

A full historical price review looks at multiple windows: daily/1D, 1M, 6M, YTD, 1Y, 5Y and all-time. Market data providers (Yahoo Finance, TradingView, CNBC) maintain interactive charts and downloadable historicals for cvs health stock.

Notable historical drivers for large price moves include:

• Strategic M&A (notably the announced acquisition of Aetna in late 2017 and subsequent close in 2018), which reshaped CVS's business into a vertically integrated health services company.
• PBM and insurer sector shocks tied to reimbursement rates and regulatory proposals (for example, CMS proposed Medicare Advantage rate changes announced in January 2026 which pressured many insurer and health-plan stocks including cvs health stock).
• Broader sector rotations and macro events (healthcare vs. tech rotations, pandemic-era demand shifts, inflation/interest-rate cycles).

As of Jan 28, 2026, cvs health stock traded near $73.26 after a sector-wide pullback triggered by reported CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage rate guidance (reported by outlets including Investopedia and Benzinga). That regulatory proposal led to sharp moves across insurer and health-plan equities.

Financial fundamentals and earnings

CVS Health reports quarterly results and annual filings that drive valuation for cvs health stock. Key financial items investors and analysts track include:

• Revenue and revenue growth: total revenue across Health Care Benefits, Health Services and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segments.
• Net income and adjusted operating income: GAAP vs. adjusted measures are both reported; analysts frequently focus on adjusted earnings.
• Margins: gross, operating and net margin trends signal profitability pressures, especially in the insurance and PBM segments where medical costs and drug pricing affect margins.
• Medical Care Ratio (MCR) for health-plan operations: MCR measures the proportion of premium revenue spent on medical claims; a rising MCR compresses insurer margins and affects cvs health stock sentiment.
• Cash flow and free cash flow: important for funding buybacks, dividends and M&A.
• Guidance and outlook: management’s forward guidance, when provided, shapes expectations and the forward P/E.

Recent example (time-stamped): As of Jan 28, 2026, major insurer earnings season updates and a CMS proposal affected sentiment in the sector. Sources reported that the CMS proposed a modest 0.09% increase in Medicare Advantage payments for 2027, much smaller than market expectations — a factor that pressured cvs health stock (Investopedia, Benzinga coverage dated Jan 27–28, 2026).

Analysts rely on company filings (10-Q, 10-K), CVS Health investor-relations releases and the earnings call transcript for exact revenue and EPS numbers; always cross-check the official investor-relations page.

Dividends and shareholder distributions

CVS Health has historically paid quarterly dividends. Important dividend details for cvs health stock include:

• Dividend frequency: quarterly (cash dividend per share announced by the board).
• Recent dividend rate and yield: check CVS Health investor relations for the declared quarterly dividend and the trailing yield. For example, the company’s official dividend page lists payment history and record dates (see CVS Health IR; data timestamp: Jan 28, 2026).
• Dividend policy: CVS’s board determines payout levels based on cash flow, capital allocation priorities and strategic needs (including M&A and debt reduction).

Dividend relevance: income-focused investors watch cvs health stock for stable payout history, but dividend yield and coverage can change when operating profits or free cash flow shift.

Analyst coverage and price targets

Sell-side analysts from major broker-dealers and independent research firms regularly publish ratings and price targets for cvs health stock. Common elements of coverage include:

• Rating distribution: buy / overweight, hold / neutral, sell / underweight breakdowns gathered by aggregator services (e.g., Seeking Alpha, Yahoo Finance).
• Consensus price target: an average or median of active analyst price targets; it updates as firms revise forecasts after earnings or regulatory news.
• Notable downgrades/upgrades: industry-wide catalysts (such as the Jan 2026 CMS 0.09% Advance Notice) can prompt coordinated rating changes for insurers and health-plan exposures, including cvs health stock.

Use analyst coverage as a background input, but remember ratings and targets are opinions and should be viewed alongside company filings and independent analysis.

Ownership and institutional holders

Institutional ownership tends to be meaningful for large-cap healthcare companies and affects liquidity and governance. Key ownership considerations for cvs health stock:

• Major institutional holders: large mutual funds, pension funds, index funds and ETFs typically represent sizable share blocks. Aggregated ownership data is available on financial data platforms and in regulatory filings.
• Insider ownership: holdings by directors and executive officers are disclosed in SEC filings (Forms 3/4/5). Substantial insider buying or selling can be material but must be interpreted in context.
• ETF ownership / passive holders: because CVS is a component of broad-market indexes (e.g., the S&P 500), index funds and ETFs contribute a stable baseline of ownership.

As of reporting windows in early 2026, major index funds and healthcare ETFs remained among the top institutional holders of cvs health stock (source: Fidelity research snapshots and 13F filings aggregated by data providers).

Corporate actions and governance

Major corporate events that historically affected cvs health stock include:

• Mergers & acquisitions: The announced acquisition of Aetna (2017) and the subsequent integration materially reshaped CVS’s business model and investor thesis.
• Stock buybacks: authorization and execution of repurchase programs reduce share count and affect per-share metrics; CVS periodically updates buyback plans in its investor communications.
• Leadership and board changes: CEO or CFO transitions and major governance decisions can alter investor sentiment.
• Spin-offs or divestitures: material restructurings or asset sales are disclosed publicly and can reshape the longer-term earnings profile of cvs health stock.

For precise dates and transaction terms, consult CVS Health’s investor-relations announcements and SEC filings.

News, catalysts and regulatory environment

Regulatory developments, government payment-rate proposals and sector-wide earnings often move cvs health stock materially. Recent, time-stamped news that affected the stock:

• As of Jan 28, 2026, multiple media outlets reported a sharp sector reaction after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published an Advance Notice proposing a 0.09% increase to 2027 Medicare Advantage payments. Major outlets (Investopedia, Benzinga) noted that the unexpectedly small increase pressured insurer stocks. cvs health stock fell in that session along with peers due to concerns about slimmer reimbursement growth and margin pressure.

• The congressional and DOJ scrutiny into Medicare Advantage billing practices and PBM arrangements is an ongoing regulatory factor for the sector; any material legal developments can be a catalyst for cvs health stock volatility.

• Earnings releases and guidance updates (company quarterly reports) are recurring catalysts: CVS’s quarterly reports for pharmacy, PBM and health-plan segments are closely watched by analysts and investors.

Why this matters: changes to Medicare Advantage rates directly affect revenue and margins for health-plan exposures in the U.S. A low growth proposal from CMS reduces expected premium revenue indexing and can trigger stock price declines across insurer-linked equities, including cvs health stock.

Sources: As of Jan 28, 2026, reporting by Investopedia and Benzinga summarized the CMS announcement and its market impact. Market-data snapshots that day showed cvs health stock trading around $73.26 and a sector-wide sell-off affecting UnitedHealth, Humana and CVS.

Risks and controversies

Investors should be aware of material risks that have historically affected cvs health stock and could do so in future:

• Regulatory risk: Medicare Advantage rate setting, PBM regulation and broader healthcare policy changes can reduce revenue and margin expectations.
• Legal risk: investigations or litigation related to billing, compliance, or PBM practices may produce fines, settlements or reputational damage.
• Reimbursement and pricing pressure: downward pressure on drug pricing or changes to reimbursement rules can affect pharmacy and PBM margins.
• Integration risk: bringing large acquisitions (for example, Aetna) into a cohesive and profitable operation presents operational and cultural challenges.
• Competition: from other insurers, PBMs and retail competitors as the sector evolves (including growing emphasis on vertical integration and value-based care).

Historical controversies: reporting and investigations into Medicare Advantage billing and PBM practices have periodically drawn scrutiny across the sector. Any developments in these areas are monitored closely by investors and were part of the market moves around Jan 27–28, 2026.

All risk descriptions are factual summaries and do not constitute investment advice.

Trading and derivatives

Liquidity and derivatives activity around cvs health stock matters to traders and more active investors:

• Liquidity: cvs health stock is a large-cap security with typically substantial daily volume; liquidity enables institutional-sized trades but can concentrate around earnings or regulatory events.
• Options market: CVS options trade on U.S. exchanges with available calls and puts across expirations. Open interest, implied volatility and notable option flows are tracked by derivatives desks and platforms like TradingView and Seeking Alpha.
• Common trading strategies: covered calls (income strategy), dividend capture (short-term around ex-dividend dates), options-based hedging around earnings, and long-term buy-and-hold based on fundamentals.

Market participants often use implied volatility and option skew to assess expectations around earnings and regulatory news. Option contract metrics change rapidly around events — check real-time options data on your trading platform.

Technical analysis and investor sentiment

Some traders use technical analysis alongside fundamentals for cvs health stock. Common elements include:

• Moving averages: 50-day and 200-day moving averages are watched for trend confirmation or crossovers.
• Support & resistance: recent price levels with high trading volume tend to act as short-term support or resistance.
• Momentum indicators: RSI, MACD and on-balance volume (OBV) help traders identify divergence or momentum exhaustion.

Platforms such as TradingView host community ideas and sentiment metrics that can supplement, but not replace, fundamental analysis. Always cross-check technical signals with the broader news and fundamentals, particularly around catalytic events like CMS announcements.

ETFs and indexes containing CVS

Because CVS is a large-cap component of major U.S. indexes, it appears in many broad-market and sector-specific ETFs. Notable examples that commonly include CVS (constituents update periodically):

• S&P 500 index ETFs (e.g., funds tracking the S&P 500) — CVS is typically a component when it meets index criteria.
• Healthcare sector ETFs (e.g., funds that track the U.S. healthcare sector).
• Large-cap and dividend-focused ETFs may also hold CVS based on inclusion rules.

Why ETF flows matter: passive index funds and sector ETFs create predictable baseline demand for cvs health stock; large-scale ETF rebalances and flows can have short-term impacts on price and liquidity.

Refer to ETFs’ published holdings (issuer fund factsheets) and index providers for the current list of funds holding CVS.

How to buy or monitor CVS stock

Practical steps for retail investors interested in cvs health stock:

• Brokerage account: open an account with a regulated broker that lists NYSE equities; for crypto-native users considering a single platform for both digital assets and fiat equities, Bitget offers equity monitoring and trading tools (confirm local availability and regulatory permissions).
• Trading hours: know regular market hours (09:30–16:00 ET) and the availability of pre-/post-market trading.
• Watchlists & alerts: add cvs health stock to your watchlist and set price, volume or news alerts on your platform (Bitget’s watchlist features can be used for alerts and mobile notifications).
• Research sources: follow CVS Health investor relations, SEC filings (EDGAR), and market-data providers such as Yahoo Finance, CNBC, TradingView and Seeking Alpha for price, charting and analyst updates.
• Earnings & regulatory calendar: mark the company’s earnings dates and key healthcare regulation milestones (CMS notices, rule-making dates) that can move cvs health stock.

Reminder: confirm availability of equity trading and legal eligibility for your country on any platform before placing trades.

Historical milestones and timeline

A concise timeline of material corporate and stock-related milestones for the CVS enterprise (high-level and not exhaustive):

• 1960s: founding roots (original consumer retail pharmacy origins).
• 2007: acquisition of pharmacy benefit manager Caremark in a transformational deal (reshaped pharmacy services footprint).
• 2017–2018: announcement and close of the Aetna acquisition, adding a major health-plan business and creating vertical integration across pharmacy, PBM and payer segments.
• Ongoing: periodic stock buyback authorizations, dividend policy updates and corporate governance changes; earnings-cycle cadence remains a primary market focal point.

For detailed dates and transaction terms, consult CVS Health press releases and SEC filings.

See also

• UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH)
• Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM)
• Cencora Inc. and major PBM/insurer peers
• Topics: pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Medicare Advantage, health-plan reimbursement policy

References

• CVS Health investor relations (stock information, dividend history, filings) — official company communications and SEC filings (check the IR page for the latest reports). Date-check all figures when using them.
• Yahoo Finance — CVS Health Corporation (CVS) quote and company overview (data snapshot as of Jan 28, 2026).
• CNBC — market charts and news coverage.
• TradingView — interactive charts and community ideas.
• Seeking Alpha — analyst notes and aggregated research.
• Investopedia and Benzinga — coverage of CMS Advance Notice and the sector reaction (reports dated Jan 27–28, 2026). Specific sector sell-off narrative and examples referenced in the market coverage used in this article date from Jan 2026 reporting.
• Fidelity digital research — institutional ownership and fund-holdings snapshots.

(Report dates and sources above are provided to give context for time-sensitive data; always verify current numbers directly with the primary sources listed.)

External links

• CVS Health investor relations (company filings, press releases, dividend history) — check the official IR site for the authoritative record.
• Major market-data pages for cvs health stock include Yahoo Finance, CNBC, TradingView and Seeking Alpha for quotes, charts and analyst aggregates.

If you want to watch or trade cvs health stock from a single platform that integrates equities and digital-asset tools, consider setting up alerts and watchlists on Bitget. Explore Bitget's market tools and Bitget Wallet for an integrated experience.

Disclosure: This article is informational and neutral in tone. It does not provide investment advice or recommendations. All time-sensitive figures are labeled with dates and named sources; consult official filings and real-time market data before making trading decisions.