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# CVS Health Is Breaking Itself in Two
- URL: https://www.pennystocks.news/cvs-cvs-health-is-breaking-itself-in-two/
- Published: 2026-11-04T22:00:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T22:00:27.000Z
- Description: The company is splitting into two publicly traded businesses — one focused on insurance and pharmacy benefits, the other on retail pharmacy. Existing shareholders will own stock in both, if the separation closes as planned in 2028.
- Author: PennyStocksNews Team
- Tags: nasdaq, ticker-cvs

CVS Health said it plans to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies, following a comprehensive strategic review by its board of directors. **The company says the split will give each business greater focus and create more value for stakeholders.**

CVS HEALTH CORPORATION NYSE: CVS 

Shares **closed 3.28% higher at $91.41** after the announcement, on dollar volume of about $1.8 billion.

The plan creates two separate companies. One — **to be called CVS Health in the interim** — takes the insurance and benefits operations: Aetna, CVS Caremark, CVS Specialty, Oak Street Health and Signify Health. The other, to be called CVS Pharmacy, gets **approximately 9,000 retail stores**, MinuteClinic locations, the mail pharmacy service and Health100, a technology services unit.

Leadership follows the same dividing line. **David Joyner, currently chairman and chief executive, stays with the healthcare solutions company.** Prem Shah, currently group president, will run CVS Pharmacy.

For anyone holding CVS shares today: when the split completes, **they will own shares in both companies**. CVS says the separation is intended to be tax-free under U.S. federal income tax rules, though the company notes it still requires customary confirmation of that treatment. Both companies are expected to carry investment-grade credit ratings and pay dividends, according to the release.

The separation is targeted for **the first half of 2028**. Final board approval, an SEC registration filing and that tax-free confirmation are all still required before it can close.