CVS Health plans to split retail pharmacy from insurance and PBM businesses by early 2028

CVS Health is considering a separation of its roughly 9,000‑store retail pharmacy chain from the Aetna and Caremark units, with a target completion in the first half of 2028. The move would unwind much of the 2018 $78 billion Aetna acquisition and create two publicly traded companies. The proposal is being discussed amid growing political pressure on combined pharmacy‑benefit manager and insurer ownership.

The split would isolate the retail pharmacy business, which generates about one‑third of CVS’s revenue, allowing investors to value the two entities separately. The company also raised its full‑year adjusted earnings outlook to at least $8.20 per share, reflecting improved performance in its health‑care benefits segment.

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