Markets
markets
Luke Kawa

CVS soars as fourth-quarter earnings exceed every Wall Street estimate

Shares of CVS Health are soaring in the premarket after the drugstore and insurance company delivered fourth-quarter earnings per share that surpassed every analyst’s estimate — the company’s EPS of $1.19 crushed the consensus estimate of $0.92 — and reported better-than-expected revenues to boot.

A bigger surprise on the bottom line than the top line usually means one thing: effective expense control.

The medical benefit ratio (that is, the share of premiums collected spent on medical care) in its insurance ratio was 94.8%, lower than projected. That’s a positive, since it means more money is left over for the company to claim as profits.

Its peer, Cigna, reported larger-than-expected outlays to cover patients’ costs when it released earnings in late January, sending shares sharply lower.

Management’s guidance for 2025, however, was a little on the low side. Adjusted earnings per share are projected to come in between $5.75 and $6.00, while the consensus estimate currently sits at the top of that range. Projected sales of “at least $385.9 billion” are a bit shy of where the sell side is at, too.

More Markets

See all Markets
markets

SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC and Chartr Limited produce fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and are fully owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, Robinhood Money, LLC, Robinhood U.K. Ltd, Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, Robinhood Gold, LLC, Robinhood Asset Management, LLC, Robinhood Credit, Inc., Robinhood Ventures DE, LLC and, where applicable, its managed investment vehicles.