CVS Health (CVS, $70.88) beats Q4 earnings expectations
CVS Health Corp. reported fourth quarter earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations. The healthcare company said it will resume offering insurance plans that offer 'Obamacare' subsidies.
The company’s adjusted earnings for the three months ending in December fell -25% rom the year-ago quarter to $1.30 per share, 6 cents ahead of the Street consensus forecast.
Revenues increased +4% year-over-year to $69.55 billion, again surpassing analysts' estimates of $68.75 billion.
Revenues in rharmacy Services fell -1.9% year-over-year to $33.355 billion, primarily due to “continued price compression and changes in net new business mix, partially offset by growth in specialty pharmacy and brand inflation."
Retail sales climbed +6.6% to $24.062 billion. Same-store sales were up +5.7%. Healthcare benefits division sales increased +11.4% to $19.1 billion as it added Aetna's operations to its business.
"Our goal is to make health care more accessible, more affordable and simpler. In order to do this, we will accelerate the pace of our progress through targeted investments in key areas that will drive our consumer-focused strategy," CEO Karen Lynch said. "We believe that solving consumer health needs will deliver better health outcomes and lower costs while creating future economic benefit for CVS Health and its shareholders. "
For 2021, CVS expects adjusted EPS in the range of $7.39-$7.55. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 earnings is pegged at $7.53.
Full-year operating cash flow is projected in the range of $12 billion-$12.50 billion.
CVS said it would return to selling individual health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare.
CVS in upward trend: price may jump up because it broke its lower Bollinger Band on September 17, 2026
CVS may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options. In 25 of 36 cases where CVS's price broke its lower Bollinger Band, its price rose further in the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 69%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 2 days, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 3 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
Following a +4.88% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where CVS advanced for three days, in 231 of 343 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 67%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on September 16, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on CVS as a result. In 49 of 88 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 56%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for CVS turned negative on September 17, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 51 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 34 of the 51 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 67%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where CVS declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 60%.
The Aroon Indicator for CVS entered a downward trend on September 01, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 2 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: CVS's P/B Ratio (1.426) is slightly lower than the industry average of (3.378). P/E Ratio (23.441) is within average values for comparable stocks, (147.588). CVS's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.208) is slightly lower than the industry average of (0.803). CVS has a moderately high Dividend Yield (0.030) as compared to the industry average of (0.009). P/S Ratio (0.283) is also within normal values, averaging (0.569).
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 29 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 48 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. CVS’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 79 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. CVS’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 87, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 81 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
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an integrated pharmacy health care provider
Industry ManagedHealthCare
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