Stock Analysis

How Investors Are Reacting To CVS Health (CVS) Losing Key Medicaid Contract and Cutting Aetna Jobs

  • Recently, CVS Health announced it will eliminate 72 remote jobs related to its Aetna subsidiary after losing an important Ohio Medicaid contract, alongside addressing concerns over Medicaid business margins during its earnings discussion.
  • This combination of contract loss and management's commentary has underscored ongoing profitability pressures in CVS Health's Medicaid and insurance segments, drawing heightened attention from industry observers and investors alike.
  • With the loss of the Ohio Medicaid contract highlighting margin pressures, we'll examine how this development shapes CVS Health's long-term investment outlook.

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CVS Health Investment Narrative Recap

To be a CVS Health shareholder, you need confidence in the company’s ability to grow profitably across its retail, pharmacy, and insurance segments despite persistent margin pressures and sector cost headwinds. The recent loss of the Ohio Medicaid contract and related job cuts bring attention to near-term profitability challenges but do not fundamentally alter the biggest short-term catalyst, expansion in pharmacy services, or the central risk, which remains sustained pressure on healthcare delivery margins. The impact of these developments appears more focused on highlighting execution risks rather than shifting the investment outlook in a material way.

Among CVS’s recent announcements, the completion of its acquisition and conversion of Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs stores in the Pacific Northwest stands out. By integrating 63 new pharmacy locations and expanding its prescription file base, CVS is pushing further into pharmacy growth opportunities, one of the company’s primary earnings catalysts, even as it addresses cost and contract-related headwinds in its insurance business.

On the other hand, investors should be aware of persistent margin pressure in healthcare delivery, especially at Oak Street, which could ...

Read the full narrative on CVS Health (it's free!)

CVS Health's narrative projects $445.1 billion in revenue and $8.3 billion in earnings by 2028. This requires 5.0% yearly revenue growth and a $3.8 billion earnings increase from the current $4.5 billion in earnings.

Uncover how CVS Health's forecasts yield a $83.79 fair value, in line with its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

CVS Community Fair Values as at Oct 2025
CVS Community Fair Values as at Oct 2025

Five members of the Simply Wall St Community estimate CVS’s fair value from US$83.79 to US$282.97. While pharmacy expansion is a clear catalyst, persistent medical benefit ratio pressure may affect long-term earnings potential, so explore these viewpoints for a wide perspective.

Explore 5 other fair value estimates on CVS Health - why the stock might be worth over 3x more than the current price!

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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