CVS Health CorpCVSCOMMENTOct 13, 2017Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
Bought at less than 10x earnings with recent dividend increase is good for share price appreciation. Recent M&A also good for investors. Will continue to own shares. Excellent management team and solid dividend. Weakness is sector creating opportunities to buyout competitors.
Price target was raised today. This peaked in 2020-1 then was hit with a lot of bad news, like doubts over Signify and Oak Street acquisitions. But that negative sentiment has reversed, like their Medicare Advantage stars rating has gone up, and the street sees profitability rising in their pharmacy benefits management system, based on a new model last month. Trades under a cheap PE and pays a 3% dividend. He targets over $100 in 12 months. Is underloved and over-owned.
Healthcare has lagged this year. They run a chain of pharmacies, Aetna health insurance, pharmacy management and recently bought Oak Health. The CEO is doing a great job, and shares are not expensive around 8.5x PE. They took one some debt to bought some companies, but once they integrated them, it will ramp up cash flow.
(Analysts’ price target is $87.45)
In many cases this is a Trump Administration story. Drug stocks have come off significantly, along with the companies that sell drugs to the American consumer. There has been a recovery in a lot of the drug stocks, and he’s not 100% convinced that Americans want to give up Obamacare. Ultimately, this is a story of drug price inflation and the attempts of the government to rein costs in. Longer-term, it is an interesting story, but a very thin margin business. If you get a small drop in profitability, stocks tend to come back significantly. This may be a buying opportunity, but for him the margins are a little skinny and not on his radar.