Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $101.66 Million Position in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) by 0.5% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,415,497 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock after selling 7,634 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in CVS Health were worth $101,661,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of CVS. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in CVS Health in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of CVS Health during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of CVS Health by 407.2% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 350 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of CVS Health during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in CVS Health in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 80.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other CVS Health news, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.58, for a total transaction of $6,230,378.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $907,714.14. The trade was a 87.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Larry Robbins sold 370,462 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.45, for a total transaction of $34,619,673.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,824,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $450,877,466.55. This trade represents a 7.13% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 3,441,551 shares of company stock worth $323,703,977 over the last ninety days. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CVS. Argus boosted their target price on shares of CVS Health from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $108.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of CVS Health from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of CVS Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CVS Health presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $105.38.

CVS Health Price Performance

CVS stock opened at $106.01 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $98.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.79. The firm has a market cap of $135.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. CVS Health Corporation has a 12 month low of $58.50 and a 12 month high of $107.94.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.36. The company had revenue of $100.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.99 billion. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that CVS Health Corporation will post 7.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.665 per share. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 117.18%.

Key Headlines Impacting CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial raised its price target on CVS to $118 and reiterated a buy rating, reinforcing bullish analyst sentiment and suggesting additional upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: CVS Caremark reached a global settlement with the FTC that CVS says advances transparency and affordability in prescription drug pricing, potentially easing a major legal overhang for the pharmacy-benefit manager business. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighting CVS as a 52-week high stock and a potentially attractive long-term value play are keeping momentum traders and value investors interested.
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS continued to promote Aetna provider survey results showing improved payer trust and the benefits of digital tools, which is supportive for the healthcare-services narrative but not a major immediate stock catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS also affirmed its dividend and expanded GLP-1 support programs, which helps the investment case, though the market may still be waiting to see whether those efforts meaningfully improve employer economics and utilization trends.
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen downgraded CVS to Hold, and the stock is trading near its recent high, which could prompt some investors to question near-term valuation after a strong run.

About CVS Health

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.