CVS Health Thursday sued the state of Arkansas, trying to thwart a law the healthcare company said would lead to the closure of all 23 CVS drugstores in the state.
CVS' pharmacy segment continues to lead the industry, processing over 1.7 billion prescriptions annually while delivering high medication adherence.
CVS's stock soared toward a three-month high after its quarterly profit beat expectations by the widest margin in more than four years.
CVS plunged to $49, trading at a forward P/E of 8-9x, well below its 16x historical average. PBM segment contributes 46% of CVS income; fears of reform impact led to significant market overreaction. A 25% PBM profitability cut reduces EPS to ~$4, implying a fair value of $60 (with a P/E of 15x).
New legislation targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) could cut CVS Health earnings in half. CVS stock fell, along with UnitedHealth and Cigna.