** Healthcare conglomerate CVS Health CVS.N beat Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday and provided an annual forecast that largely met expectations
** Results and forecast hinted at an improvement in performance in its first full quarter under new CEO David Joyner
** Median PT of 29 brokerages covering CVS is $65 - according to data compiled by LSEG
DOSE OF STABILITY
** Leerink Partners ("outperform", PT: $75) sees CVS stabilizing, particularly with health insurance unit Aetna
** Jefferies ("buy", PT: $74) sees CVS' stabilization of Aetna leading to early success in 2025 with low downside risk, and projected further EPS and increase in stock price if elevated use of medical services by its members subsides
** Morgan Stanley ("overweight", PT: $68) sees potential earnings upside for CVS in 2025 from improved cost trends and Medicare Advantage $(MA)$ margins
** Evercore ISI ("outperform", PT: $80) sees CVS balanced, with realistic expectations for Medicaid rate and MA operating margin improvements, and also highlighted continued underlying improvements in its insurance unit
(Reporting by Rashika Singh in Bengaluru)
((rashika.singh@thomsonreuters.com))
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