11:15 AM EDT, 05/02/2025 (MT Newswires) -- CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

We lift our 12-month target by $7 to $76, based on a 12.4x multiple of our 2025 EPS estimate, a premium to peers due to a higher return on invested capital. We lift our 2025 EPS to $6.12 from $5.95 and 2026 to $6.89 from $6.88. Q1 EPS of $2.25 vs. $1.31 beat consensus sizeably by $0.58. The Health Care Benefits segment was the standout performer, which saw better underlying performance in Medicare, including the impact of improved Medicare Advantage star ratings for the 2025 payment year. These trends resulted in the segment's medical benefit ratio improving to 87.3% from 90.4% in the year prior. CVS was able to lift its EPS guidance range to $6.00-$6.20 from $5.75-$6.00 given the strong Q1. Looking ahead, Aetna decided to exit the individual exchange business where it independently operates ACA plans for 2026 to further focus its portfolio. Further, CVS also announced a partnership with Novo Nordisk to increase access to Wegovy as of July 1, capitalizing on the growing demand for GLP-1 drugs, in our view.