CVS Stock
CVS Caremark Corporation is one of the finest plays in the retail drug industry. The CVS stock offers unprecendented vertical integration of the perscription medication business, essential to all retail drug stores. The CVS stock represents a pharmaceutical drug fulfillment company that processes nearly 1 billion perscriptions each year. The company is located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. In nearly 25 years on trading on the New York Stock enchange under the obvious CVS stock symbol of CVS, the company has returned over 700% to investors, not including three stock splits and the implementation of a dividend since its third year as a public company.
Only recently has CVS stock become a true powerhouse in the retail drug industry. In was on March 22, 2007 that the CVS stock officially became known as the CVS Caremark Corporation with the merger with Caremark RX. The company has around 6,200 retail locations, but now includes a strong mail order and pharmaceutical benefits management system. CVS stockholders benefit from what the companies calls "full integration" of its services after the merger with Caremark RX. The company offers all popular perscription drugs including those from pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Merck.
The amount of shares that institutional investors now own in 2008 of CVS stock is impressive. Some 86 percent of outstanding shares are now owned by instituional investors and brokerages. The company trades at a very stable beta of about 1 - which means it trades almost exactly inline with the market in terms of volatility. The company has now surpassed the $50 billion market capitalization which is nearly double that of competitor Wal-Green and over 50x that of struggling Rite-Aid. The company is appealing to long term growth and income investors because of its reliable dividend policy and potential from growth with the Caremark merger. For more, to date, research on CVS stock, please refer to our CVS stock information page.