CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) is among the cheap healthcare stocks to buy heading into 2026. On December 4, Bernstein SocGen Group lifted the price target on CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) to $86.00 from $77.00, while reaffirming a ‘Market Perform’ rating on the stock. The firm attributed the improved guidance to the company’s Aetna business unit, while acknowledging lingering pressures in its Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) segment. According to Bernstein, CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) is “exec ...

Group 1 - CVS Health has returned $31 billion to shareholders over the past ten years through dividends and buybacks, achieving an 81% year-to-date return in 2025 after a 42% decline in 2024, indicating a strong recovery in the healthcare sector [2][6] - The company maintains a steady quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share, resulting in an annual dividend of $2.66, which yields approximately 3.64% [3] - In 2024, CVS repurchased approximately 40 million shares and distributed $3.3 billion in dividends, reflecting a disciplined capital allocation strategy [4] Group 2 - CVS stock ranks as the 90th highest total return to shareholders in history, highlighting the effectiveness of its shareholder return strategy [6] - The total capital returned to shareholders as a percentage of market capitalization is inversely related to growth possibilities for reinvestments, with CVS demonstrating a balance between returns and growth potential [9] - CVS has experienced significant declines in the past, including over 62% during the Dot-Com Bubble and around 45% during the Global Financial Crisis, emphasizing the importance of strong fundamentals [10] Group 3 - CVS reported a revenue growth of 5.0% for the last twelve months and an 8.1% average over the last three years, with a free cash flow margin of nearly 1.6% and an operating margin of 2.9% [13] - The stock trades at a P/E multiple of 19.4, offering a lower valuation compared to the S&P while providing higher three-year average revenue growth [13]