Traders Purchase Large Volume of CVS Health Call Options (NYSE:CVS)

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) was the target of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock investors bought 51,620 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 203% compared to the average daily volume of 17,056 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on CVS shares. Wall Street Zen lowered CVS Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Robert W. Baird set a $107.00 price objective on CVS Health in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings cut CVS Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on CVS Health from $111.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $112.00 price target on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.80.

CVS Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CVS opened at $93.55 on Friday. 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 has a 1 year low of $69.51 and a 1 year high of $110.68. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $91.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $93.78. The firm has a market cap of $119.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.60.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.81 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that CVS Health will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 22nd will be paid a $0.6650 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 22nd. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. CVS Health’s payout ratio is 70.37%.

More CVS Health News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price target maintained: Cantor Fitzgerald kept its $110 price target for CVS, implying confidence in further upside from recent trading levels. Cantor Fitzgerald maintains CVS price target
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded fall merchandise: CVS Pharmacy is adding collectibles, limited-edition products, beauty items, snacks and seasonal offerings across stores and CVS.com. The initiative could support front-store traffic and retail sales, although its financial impact is not yet quantified. CVS expands fall assortment
• Positive Sentiment: New clinic openings: CVS reportedly opened three clinics, supporting its broader healthcare-services strategy and potentially increasing patient engagement and revenue opportunities. CVS opens three clinics
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high call-option activity: Traders purchased 51,620 call options, about 203% above average. This signals increased speculative interest and may indicate bullish positioning, but options activity alone does not establish a change in CVS’s fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst attention remains elevated: Zacks highlighted CVS as a heavily watched stock but did not provide a definitive new buy catalyst. Investors continue to weigh the company’s latest strong earnings performance against execution risks in its healthcare businesses. Zacks analysis of CVS
• Negative Sentiment: Recent underperformance: CVS previously declined even as the broader market gained, indicating lingering investor concerns or a lack of a fresh catalyst. The company’s strong latest quarterly results and fiscal 2026 earnings guidance provide support, but investors may remain focused on whether that performance is sustainable.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in CVS Health by 41.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 356 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of CVS Health by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,408 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $292,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of CVS Health by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 6,940 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $724,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. increased its position in shares of CVS Health by 13.3% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of CVS Health by 4.2% during the second quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 3,481 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $360,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

CVS Health Company Profile

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) is a diversified health care company that provides pharmacy, insurance and health services in the United States. Its businesses serve consumers, employers, health plans and health care providers through pharmacies, benefit programs, insurance coverage and clinical care services.

The company’s Pharmacy Services segment, led by CVS Caremark, manages prescription drug benefits for employers, insurers and government programs. CVS Pharmacy operates retail pharmacies and health-focused stores that dispense prescriptions and offer over-the-counter products, health and wellness merchandise, immunizations and related services.