For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has CVS Health (CVS) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Medical peers, we might be able to answer that question.CVS Health is a member of our Medical group, which includes 996 different companies and currently sits at #7 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 1 ...

Group 1 - The Senate's rules committee recently rejected a key provision of the "grand plan" pushed by the Trump administration, which aimed to limit states from obtaining federal funds through taxes on Medicaid service providers [1] - The proposed provision sought to freeze the long-standing tax mechanism used by 49 states to collect taxes from hospitals and clinics providing Medicaid services, with the Senate version suggesting more aggressive adjustments to significantly reduce such tax scales [1] - The ruling from the Senate rules committee represents a significant setback for the legislative process of this controversial provision, as it is rare for the Senate to overturn the committee's decisions [1] Group 2 - The policy battle has significant implications for the U.S. health insurance industry, with stocks of companies deeply involved in Medicaid programs, such as Centene and Molina Healthcare, experiencing increases following the Senate's ruling [2] - National comprehensive insurers like UnitedHealth and Humana, as well as integrated healthcare groups like CVS Health and Cigna, also saw their stock prices rise in response to the news [2]

The new center is located at the Chicago Baptist InstituteCHICAGO, June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) announced today the opening of its new Workforce Innovation and Talent Center (WITC) in Chicago. The center, situated at the Chicago Baptist Institute, will improve the community's access to workforce training services and provide every participant who completes the program an opportunity to apply for a position at CVS Health.The WITC will transform lives in the Chicago community, like th ...

CVS Health (CVS) closed at $67.58 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.15% move from the prior day. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.11%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 1.19%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.43%. The stock of drugstore chain and pharmacy benefits manager has risen by 9.83% in the past month, leading the Medical sector's gain of 2.14% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.92%.Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of CVS Health in its upcoming earnings disclosure. ...

Key Takeaways CVS adds Wegovy to Caremark formularies while removing Zepbound to balance costs and access. The move supports CVS' Weight Management program, pairing GLP-1 with lifestyle coaching. CVS shares are up 48.8% YTD, trading at a forward P/S of 0.21X versus the industry average of 0.40X.For CVS Health (CVS) , the key to building customer trust is to enhance access to life-changing medications and also make them affordable. Beginning July 1, the company’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager (“PBM”), CVS Carem ...

Group 1 - Zacks Premium offers various tools to help investors become more confident and informed, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens [1][2] - The Zacks Style Scores are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum, helping investors identify stocks with the best chances of outperforming the market in the short term [3][4] Group 2 - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios such as P/E, PEG, and Price/Sales, appealing to value investors [4] - The Growth Score emphasizes a company's financial health and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks with sustainable growth [5] - The Momentum Score identifies trends in stock prices and earnings outlooks, assisting momentum traders in timing their investments based on recent price changes [6] Group 3 - The VGM Score combines the Value, Growth, and Momentum Scores, providing a comprehensive rating that helps investors find stocks with attractive value, strong growth potential, and positive momentum [7] - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock-rating model, uses earnings estimate revisions to simplify portfolio building, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8][9] Group 4 - CVS Health Corporation is highlighted as a stock to watch, currently rated 2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank with a VGM Score of A, indicating strong potential [12] - CVS has a Value Style Score of A, supported by a forward P/E ratio of 10.89, making it attractive to value investors [13] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates by 12 analysts and an increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate to $6.11 per share further enhance CVS's investment appeal, alongside an average earnings surprise of 18.1% [13]

Group 1 - The AFL-CIO report highlights that if the proposed Republican tax reform is passed, approximately 179 million Americans relying on employer-provided health insurance could face an annual premium increase of up to $485 each [1] - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the tax reform could cut federal Medicaid spending by nearly $800 billion over the next decade, affecting over 70 million Americans currently covered by Medicaid [1][2] - The expiration of ACA premium subsidies in 2025, as noted in the report, will lead to an increase in the uninsured population, with projections indicating that 16 million Americans could be without insurance by 2034 [2] Group 2 - The reduction in Medicaid funding is expected to significantly impact hospital operations, as Medicaid accounts for about 19% of hospital revenue in the U.S. [2] - The CBO anticipates that the increase in uninsured individuals will result in an additional $63 billion in uncompensated care costs for the healthcare system over the next decade [2] - Hospitals may face two choices in response to rising uncompensated care: either negotiate higher reimbursement rates from commercial insurers, which would increase costs for employer-sponsored insurance, or operate with reduced margins, potentially leading to closures of struggling rural hospitals [3] Group 3 - The report indicates that 40% of hospitals in the U.S. are currently operating at a loss, and further revenue constraints could exacerbate this issue, leading to reduced services and longer wait times for patients [3] - The healthcare insurance sector reacted negatively to the news, with stocks of major health insurance companies like Humana, UnitedHealth, CVS, and Cigna experiencing declines [3] - The potential implementation of the tax reform could accelerate the differentiation within the health insurance industry, negatively impacting smaller insurers while potentially strengthening the market position of larger commercial insurance giants [3]

Core Insights - CVS Health's Health Services segment generated over $43 billion in revenues, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth, primarily driven by specialty pharmacy and higher pricing of branded medications [1][8] - CVS Caremark will list Novo Nordisk's Wegovy as the preferred GLP-1 medicine, enhancing access through CVS retail pharmacies [2][8] - CVS incurred a $247 million loss from exiting the ACO REACH program and selling its MSSP business, yet analysts remain optimistic about a 4.6% revenue increase in Health Services for 2024 [4][8] Financial Performance - In Q1 2025, CVS processed over $464 million in pharmacy claims, with membership reaching nearly 88 million [3] - CVS Health shares have increased by 49.4% year-to-date, outperforming the industry, which saw a 0.2% decline [7] - CVS is trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.22X, below the industry average of 0.41X, indicating potential value [9] Competitive Landscape - Cigna's Evernorth Health Services reported a 14% year-over-year growth in Pharmacy Benefit Services, driven by existing client relationships and new business [5] - Humana's CenterWell segment experienced a 37.5% increase in service revenues, benefiting from cost reductions and favorable trends in primary care [6]

Core Insights - CVS Health's stock has surged by 53.7% in 2025 due to strong operational performance and a favorable regulatory outlook [1][9] - The company raised its full-year 2025 EPS guidance, reflecting solid execution across all business segments [1] - CVS is focusing on operational excellence and transforming healthcare delivery through digital innovation and improved access [1] Regulatory Environment - The removal of proposed Medicare Advantage and PBM limitations from the Senate tax bill has reduced near-term policy risk for CVS [2][6] - This legislative change enhances CVS's pricing power and margin potential through its Caremark division, which manages drug benefits for millions [7] - The confirmation that Medicare Advantage cuts have been dropped is beneficial for CVS's insurance arm, Aetna, supporting revenue stability and investment in member-centric services [8] Market Performance - Year-to-date, CVS's stock has outperformed the broader Medical sector, S&P 500, and competitors like Herbalife and Walgreens [3] - While Herbalife and Walgreens gained 17.7% and 22.1% respectively, the S&P 500 rose only 1.8%, and the Medical sector declined by 1.6% [3] Operational Efficiency - CVS is streamlining access and lowering costs, with 95% of Aetna's prior authorization requests processed within 24 hours [10] - The pharmacy segment processes over 1.7 billion prescriptions annually, maintaining high medication adherence among Medicare Advantage members [11] - CVS is expanding access to critical therapies, partnering with Novo Nordisk to offer Wegovy at lower costs and leading the U.S. market with its low-cost Humira biosimilar, generating over $1 billion in savings for clients [12] Valuation - CVS Health's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 10.37X, which is a discount compared to the S&P 500's 21.86X [15] - The stock trades at a premium to competitors like Walgreens and Herbalife, which have average P/E ratios of 7.63X and 3.77X respectively [16] - The premium may be justified by CVS's scale, efficiency, and strategic focus on digital health and value-based care [16] Investment Outlook - CVS Health's strong stock performance, improved operational outlook, and favorable regulatory environment make it an appealing investment opportunity in 2025 [17] - The company's diversified business model and initiatives to improve care access and affordability reinforce investor confidence [17]

Key Takeaways Five stocks were screened for low P/B ratios, solid value scores, and strong projected EPS growth. STNE shows the highest 3-5 year EPS growth rate at 26.3%, followed by PSFE at 17.9% and USNA. All selected stocks have a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and meet key valuation, liquidity, and pricing criteria.Value investing offers an opportunity to enter the market and grab stocks that have otherwise been overlooked by the majority of investors and are thus trading at cheap multiples.Though price to earn ...