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Should Value Investors Consider CVS Health (CVS) Stock Now?
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Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put CVS Health Corporation (CVS - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, CVS Health has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of nearly 11.0, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.5. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, CVS Health’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. In fact, the current level stands close to the lows for the stock, indicating that it could be a solid entry point.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 31.3. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that CVS Health has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 9.5, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for CVS Health stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, CVS Health has a P/S ratio of about 0.4. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, CVS is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, CVS Health currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes CVS Health a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though CVS Health might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of B and a Momentum Score of C. This gives CVS a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Notably, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been quite encouraging. The current quarter has seen 13 estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to one downward revision, while the full year estimate has seen 15 upward and one downward revision in the same time period.
This has had a meaningful impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 9.5% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has jumped 9.1%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
However, this somewhat bullish trend has likely not yet been reflected in the stock, as we have just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which indicates expectations of in-line performance in the near term. Nonetheless, the positive analyst sentiment hints at favorable ongoing prospects.
Bottom Line
CVS Health is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Despite having a Zacks Rank #3, the stock belongs to an industry which is ranked among the Top 29% out of more than 250 Zacks industries, which indicates that broader factors are favorable for the company.
So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.
5 Medical Stocks to Buy Now
Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and other conditions.
New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.
Image: Bigstock
Should Value Investors Consider CVS Health (CVS) Stock Now?
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put CVS Health Corporation (CVS - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, CVS Health has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of nearly 11.0, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.5. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, CVS Health’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. In fact, the current level stands close to the lows for the stock, indicating that it could be a solid entry point.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 31.3. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that CVS Health has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 9.5, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for CVS Health stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, CVS Health has a P/S ratio of about 0.4. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, CVS is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, CVS Health currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes CVS Health a solid choice for value investors.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though CVS Health might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of B and a Momentum Score of C. This gives CVS a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Notably, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been quite encouraging. The current quarter has seen 13 estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to one downward revision, while the full year estimate has seen 15 upward and one downward revision in the same time period.
This has had a meaningful impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 9.5% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has jumped 9.1%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
CVS Health Corporation Price and Consensus
CVS Health Corporation Price and Consensus | CVS Health Corporation Quote
However, this somewhat bullish trend has likely not yet been reflected in the stock, as we have just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which indicates expectations of in-line performance in the near term. Nonetheless, the positive analyst sentiment hints at favorable ongoing prospects.
Bottom Line
CVS Health is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Despite having a Zacks Rank #3, the stock belongs to an industry which is ranked among the Top 29% out of more than 250 Zacks industries, which indicates that broader factors are favorable for the company.
So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.
5 Medical Stocks to Buy Now
Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and other conditions.
New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.
Click here to see the 5 stocks >>