CVS news sentiment

Can UNH's Lower Medical Costs Sustain the Earnings Recovery?

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's UNH second-quarter results show that its earnings performance is improving. The medical care ratio (MCR) fell to 86.7% from 89.4% a year ago, meaning the company spent less of its premium revenues on medical care and retained more for profits. This helped operating earnings rise 55%. UNH also raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance, reflecting confidence in its earnings recovery. The trend is encouraging, particularly in Medicare. Medical costs are running below UNH's original expectations, aided by better benefit planning, care management and changes in provider networks. OptumHealth is also making progress as it focuses more on value-based care and controls unnecessary medical spending. These trends suggest that the company's cost-control efforts are beginning to show results. Still, the 86.7% MCR may not fully reflect UNH's underlying medical-cost trend. The quarter included $860 million of favorable prior-period medical development. At the same time, commercial medical costs are increasing at a rate exceeding 11%, caused by higher provider billing and coding intensity and specialty drug costs. This could keep pressure on commercial margins for longer. UNH's earnings rebound looks encouraging, but its durability remains the key issue. The company's 2027 pricing and benefit decisions will be an important test. If the company can maintain pricing growth in line with rising medical costs, margin expansion could drive further earnings growth. Otherwise, sustained medical-cost pressure may constrain future earnings growth. How Are UNH's Peers Positioned? UnitedHealth isn't alone; peers from the Medical space, including Elevance Health, Inc. ELV and CVS Health Corporation CVS, are also navigating changing medical cost trends. Elevance Health's second-quarter benefit expense ratio was 89.7%, up 80 basis points year over year, mainly due to higher medical costs in its government businesses. Still, ELV raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to at least $27. This shows Elevance is using pricing and cost controls to protect margins. CVS Health is showing encouraging cost-control trends. Its Aetna business benefited from lower medical costs in the second quarter, helping the company deliver strong earnings beat and raise its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $7.90-$8.10. However, CVS faces uncertainty heading into 2027 due to ongoing PBM and 340B-related pressures. UNH'sPrice Performance, Valuation & Estimates Shares of UnitedHealth have risen 47.9% in the past 12 months compared with the industry's 41% growth. Story Continues Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, UNH trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18.83X compared with the industry average of 16.48X. UNH carries a Value Scoreof B.Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UnitedHealth's 2026 earnings is pegged at $19.69 per share, implying a 20.4% increase from the year-ago period's level.Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research UNH currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) : Free Stock Analysis Report CVS Health Corporation (CVS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research View Comments

Sandbox VR Continues to Expand with its First North Carolina Venue in Winston-Salem, Opening August 14

Sandbox VR brings the 'best virtual reality experience on the planet' to Downtown Winston-Salem WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandbox VR, the world's premier venue for virtual reality experiences, is set to open its first North Carolina location on August 14, 2026. Sandbox VR is working with Madison Bennett Corporation to bring the highly immersive experience to Downtown Winston-Salem. Guests can take advantage of a special limited-time presale offer of 30% off through August 13 at https://sandboxvr.com/winstonsalem. With nearly 150,000 players monthly, Sandbox VR is rapidly growing its global footprint with thriving corporate-owned locations and a robust franchising program. Sandbox VR's 6,000 square foot venue in the former CVS building will feature a bar, a private party room, and four VR rooms where groups of up to six guests suit up with headsets, haptic vests, and motion sensors for full-body immersion. This technology allows players to see and physically interact with one another, creating the feeling of living inside the action together. The premium experience extends from arrival to exit, with personalized highlight videos allowing guests to relive and share their adventures. "We're incredibly excited to bring Sandbox VR to downtown Winston-Salem," said Arthur Hengler, Sandbox VR Winston-Salem Franchise Owner. "There's so much happening downtown, and we think Sandbox VR is a great addition to the restaurants, nightlife and entertainment that already make it such a fun place to spend time. We can't wait to welcome local families, students, professionals and visitors to come experience it for themselves." Sandbox VR operates both corporate-owned locations and a robust franchise program, and recently hit $300M in lifetime sales while scaling to more than 90 global locations across five continents and 12 countries since launching in 2016. The company is redefining group entertainment with immersive experiences that transform any outing into lasting memories. Built by a team of veteran developers from EA, Sony, and Ubisoft, Sandbox VR delivers full-body immersion through exclusive content and original experiences, including the recently launched Stranger Things: Catalyst, in collaboration with Netflix, and the new Age of Dinosaurs experience in partnership with the Natural History Museum of London and leading dinosaur experts. Sandbox VR provides an unparalleled entertainment experience with over 250,000 five-star reviews from guests worldwide. With over 6 million lifetime tickets sold across five continents, the company has established itself as the global leader in location-based virtual reality. Sandbox VR is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners, Craft, and Stanford University, along with individuals such as Kevin Durant, Justin Timberlake, and Katy Perry. Story Continues To learn more about Sandbox VR, visit https://sandboxvr.com/winstonsalem. ABOUT SANDBOX VR Sandbox VR is the world's premier destination for location-based virtual reality experiences. Operating across 90+ venues around the globe through a robust franchise and corporate-owned model, Sandbox VR attracts nearly 150,000 guests each month. Sandbox VR provides guests the opportunity to step out of everyday reality into unforgettable adventures through exhilarating, group-play immersive experiences. Using a proprietary full-body VR platform, the company develops original and licensed content, including exclusive experiences like Stranger Things: Catalyst and Squid Game Virtuals in collaboration with Netflix, and the Sandbox VR original Deadwood series. With over 6 million tickets sold worldwide, Sandbox VR has become the leader in immersive entertainment, combining premium technology with emotionally engaging storytelling. Recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and a two-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, Sandbox VR is headquartered

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Positive Forecast for CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Stock Price

New study from CVS Caremark and Employee Benefit News shows how employers rely on their pharmacy benefit manager to create sustainable pharmacy solutions

Key opportunities include: managing GLP-1s, encouraging biosimilar substitution and employing technology to simplify and personalize the member experience WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Caremark, part of CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS), today announced the findings of a survey conducted in partnership with Employee Benefit News that reveals why employers are increasingly relying on their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) partners to use their expertise, scale and purchasing power to help them manage their top concern: battling rising drug prices and maintaining access to quality care.CVS Health (PRNewsFoto/CVS Health) This year's The State of Pharmacy Management Survey findings show HR decision makers and executive leaders are focused on navigating the rising price of prescription drugs, managing access to expensive treatments such as GLP-1s, and encouraging the use of more cost-effective biosimilars. Key Findings 91% of employers are concerned about the high prices of medication for employees 88% of employers see PBMs as especially well positioned to reduce prescription drug costs for their businesses 64% say PBMs have the greatest opportunity to improve access to affordable specialty medications "This data reveals the urgency behind employers' need for PBM partners who can address cost, first and foremost," said Ed DeVaney, President, CVS Caremark. "There's a clear opportunity to help employers navigate the evolving pharmacy benefits landscape while driving sustainable benefits for clients and members." Opportunity for employers to encourage greater use of biosimilars The survey findings also illustrate that biosimilars represent one of the largest untapped opportunities for employers to reduce drug costs in the U.S. health care market, offering clinically equivalent therapies to improve affordability and enhance access without compromising safety or efficacy. Today, only about half of employers (49%) are encouraging biosimilar substitution while another 40% are actively considering or exploring it. With just 12% of employers reporting that they are educating employees about the cost savings potential, this study illustrates a significant opportunity for employers to do more to both create better awareness and understanding of the benefits of biosimilars and help their members access them. CVS Caremark has been an industry leader in promoting biosimilar adoption. Since April 2024, biosimilar formulary strategy has helped CVS Caremark clients and members realize more than $3.3 billion in gross savings related to Humira® (adalimumab), and the company is committed to expanding the use of low-cost biosimilars across multiple therapeutic categories. Story Continues On July 1, 2026, CVS Caremark transitioned from Stelara® (ustekinumab) on its most common commercial template formularies to prefer lower-cost, interchangeable biosimilar alternatives — Pyzchiva® and Yesintek®. Most members will pay $0 out-of-pocket for their therapy. Employers are planning for emerging areas of pharmacy spend, including GLP-1 weight management Weight management has moved into the benefits mainstream, becoming a core component of modern benefits strategy. Seventy-seven percent of employers say the high cost of GLP-1 coverage is a concern — with 80% having either already limited GLP-1 coverage for weight loss or considering limits. CVS Caremark is focused on improving affordability and access to GLP-1s by increasing access to GLP-1 weight management medications this year with expanded coverage options. In addition to negotiating lower prices with drug manufacturers, CVS Caremark works with clients to leverage the right GLP-1 management strategies for each employee population, including utilization management, personalized clinical and nutrition support and more. The lifestyle-first approach of the CVS Weight Management™ program has driven sustainable weight loss results for members and cost savings for plan sponsors. Clients who adopted the pr

1 Profitable Stock with Impressive Fundamentals and 2 We Turn Down

1 Profitable Stock with Impressive Fundamentals and 2 We Turn Down While profitability is essential, it doesn't guarantee long-term success. Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies — as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity". Not all profitable companies are created equal, and that's why we built StockStory - to help you find the ones that truly shine bright. That said, here is one profitable company that balances growth and profitability and two that may struggle to keep up. Two Stocks to Sell: Pool (POOL) Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 10.8% Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Louisiana, Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) is one of the largest wholesale distributors of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products. Why Do We Think POOL Will Underperform? Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 2.2% annual growth was below the typical consumer discretionary company Lacking free cash flow generation means it has few chances to reinvest for growth, repurchase shares, or distribute capital Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management's prior nor current bets are going as planned At $205.34 per share, Pool trades at 17.7x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why POOL doesn't pass our bar. CVS Health (CVS) Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 2% With over 9,000 retail pharmacy locations serving as neighborhood health destinations across America, CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) operates retail pharmacies, provides pharmacy benefit management services, and offers health insurance through its Aetna subsidiary. Why Is CVS Not Exciting? Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the company's growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual revenue increases of 6.9% for the last two years Estimated sales growth of 1.7% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend Annual earnings per share growth of 1.1% underperformed its revenue over the last five years, showing its incremental sales were less profitable CVS Health's stock price of $95.56 implies a valuation ratio of 11.9x forward P/E. If you're considering CVS for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. One Stock to Buy: Nova (NVMI) Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 29% Headquartered in Israel, Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI) is a provider of quality control systems used in semiconductor manufacturing. Why Should You Buy NVMI? Impressive 23.4% annual revenue growth over the last five years indicates it's winning market share this cycle Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong two-year operating margin of 29%, and its operating leverage amplified its profits over the last five years Earnings per share grew by 27.4% annually over the last five years and trumped its peers Story Continues Nova is trading at $398.25 per share, or 30.6x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free. Stocks We Like Even More WHILE YOU'RE HERE: Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. The best stocks don't just beat the market once. They do it again. And again. Robust revenue growth, rising free cash flow, returns on capital that leave their competition in the dust. The market has already rewarded these businesses. But our AI platform says the party isn't over. Find out which 9 stocks made the cut this week — FREE. Get Our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks for Free HERE. Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. View Comments

CVS Health Earns Two Gold and One Silver Stevie(R) Awards for Great Employers

AI Learning Academy honored for building enterprise-wide AI literacy and colleague confidence WOONSOCKET, RI / ACCESS Newswire / August 11, 2026 / Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom CVS Health® (NYSE:CVS) announced that its AI Learning Academy earned two Golds and one Silver at the 11th Annual Stevie Awards for Great Employers, a global honor recognizing organizations for excellence in employee development, training and workplace culture. The company earned Gold in the Employee Upskill/Reskill Training and AI Workforce Innovation Team of the Year categories, and Silver in AI in Learning and Skills Development Achievement. Launched in February 2026, the AI Learning Academy used a phased, persona-based learning model to build practical AI capabilities across the enterprise. The program generated more than 18,500 live session attendances, achieving up to a 72% improvement in colleague confidence using AI. Thirty days after training, up to 90% of participants reported sustained productivity gains of 45-60 minutes per week, and enterprise-wide adoption of AI tools has continued to climb. The judges were glowing in their remarks. One said, "This is an exceptionally strong and strategically mature training program submission that demonstrates enterprise-scale impact, measurable behavioral change, and clear alignment between learning outcomes and business transformation." Another wrote, "The Academy's fusion of role-specific design, responsible AI guardrails, and measurable adoption sets a strong benchmark for the health care sector." Putting colleagues at the center of AI adoption "Technology alone doesn't transform an organization, people do," said Sherif Kamel, SVP, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, CVS Health. "This program puts our colleagues at the center, meeting them where they are with the skills, confidence and context they need to make AI work for the business." "AI won't define the future of work, people who know how to leverage AI will," said Greg Karanastasis, SVP, Talent & Development, CVS Health. "Our AI Academy is one of those enablers. The Academy was built through a cross-functional coalition of business leaders, Learning and Development teams, technology domain experts, and AI platform and adoption analytics teams, embedding responsible-AI training directly into the curriculum. 2026 Stevie Award wins to date The Great Employers honor is CVS Health's second Stevie Award recognition of the year. In April 2026, the company was named a Stevie Award winner at the American Business Awards for its enterprise-scale AI work: Story Continues Gold, Enterprise AI -Predictive Modeling, Clinical Authorization & Claims Orchestration Silver, Customer Experience AI - Agentic Twins ### About CVS Health CVS Health is a leading health solutions company simplifying health care one person, one family and one community at a time. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 88 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through a broad range of health insurance products and related services. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs. About the American Business Awards The American Business Awards are the nation's premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S. are eligible to submit nominations - public and private, for profit and nonprofit, large and small. Media contact Ethan Slavin 860-273-6095 Ethan.Slavin@CVSHealth.com Find more stories and multimedia from CVS Health at 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: CVS Health Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cvs-health Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: CVS Health View the or

Elizabeth Warren Says UnitedHealth, CVS Have Too Much Control Over US Healthcare—Now She Wants to Break Up the Vertical Integration

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) has criticized the vertical integration in the U.S. healthcare system, arguing that it leads to higher costs for patients and increased profits for large corporations. Warren took to X on Sunday and used UnitedHealth Group Inc. as an example of a company that controls multiple aspects of healthcare, including insurance, pharmacies, and providers. She argued that this consolidation leads to higher costs for patients while increasing corporate profits. She explained this consolidation, highlighting how entities like UnitedHealthcare and Optum Inc. link multiple parts of the care chain from insurance to specialty pharmacy services. Warren added that the same thing also applies to CVS Health Corp. Don't Miss: A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Still Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast "That's not right — and I have a bill to stop it," said Warren as she backed the bipartisan Patients Before Monopolies Act (S. 4509), which she co-sponsored with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). The bill was reintroduced in May after first launching it in 2024. The bill would ban common ownership of insurers and pharmacies and require companies to divest such holdings within a year to boost competition and lower drug prices. Supporters of the bill said that, over time, the conglomerates behind the three major PBMs, UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health and Cigna Group, have come to exercise "control over every link in the prescription drug delivery chain" by both reimbursing pharmacies and owning or operating them. In America, one health care company can own: Your doctor Your pharmacy Your insurance AND the middleman between your pharmacy and insurance. That means more profits for giant companies and higher costs for you. That's not right — and I have a bill to stop it. pic.twitter.com/AkrTo9Zyso — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) August 9, 2026 Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time Warren, Cuban Push For Healthcare Reform Warren's criticism of the healthcare system comes at a time when the cost of healthcare is a major concern for many Americans. Previously, the Senator proposed a wealth tax that could provide children with access to healthcare. She has also been critical of the narrative surrounding self-made billionaires and pushed her ultra-millionaire wealth tax proposal to fund the healthcare program. Story Continues Warren's comments also align with those of billionaire entrepreneur and Costplusdrugs.com CEO Mark Cuban, who argued that companies may be overspending on healthcare due to a lack of visibility into complex insurance contracts. Cuban accused vertically integrated healthcare companies of exploiting employers' reluctance to change, while brokers and consultants may also discourage switches because of the added work. See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier. Hence, he urged CEOs to use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or Gemini to review healthcare contracts and uncover potential issues. UnitedHealth Group recently reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised its full-year 2026 earnings guidance, citing progress in simplifying operations, improving affordability and leveraging technology to enhance healthcare services. Image via Shutterstock Read Next: Think you're saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off — see why Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunit

CVS Health Expands GLP-1 Access With $29 Visits, Lilly Deal

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Jennison Associates LLC Lowers Stake in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

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