4. CVS Health Corp. (NYSE:CVS)
CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS) ranks No. 4 among cheap stocks to buy for the next 10 years because it sits at the center of one of America’s most important long-term investment themes: healthcare access, affordability, insurance, pharmacy services, and consumer health. Trading at $98.11, CVS has had to deal with investor concerns around healthcare cost trends, margin pressure, reimbursement issues, and execution risk. But its latest first-quarter results suggest that the company may be getting back on stronger footing. For investors looking for undervalued healthcare stocks, value stocks, and long-term stocks to buy and hold, CVS remains one of the more important names to watch.
On May 6, CVS Health reported Q1 2026 results, with total revenue increasing 6.2% year-over-year to $100.4 billion. That is a massive revenue base, and even a mid-single-digit growth rate becomes meaningful when a company is operating at that scale. CVS also reported GAAP diluted EPS of $2.30 and adjusted EPS of $2.57, up from $1.41 and $2.25, respectively, in the prior-year period. The improvement was driven partly by stronger operating income in the Health Care Benefits segment, where the company continues to execute its margin recovery plan. For investors, that phrase matters because CVS has not merely needed growth. It has needed proof that management can stabilize margins and improve profitability across its complex healthcare platform.
CVS also raised its full-year 2026 guidance after the strong quarter. The company now expects adjusted EPS of $7.30 to $7.50 and cash flow from operations of at least $9.5 billion. Those are not small numbers. Strong cash flow gives CVS the ability to invest in operations, manage debt, support shareholder returns, improve technology, and keep pushing its healthcare strategy forward. In a market where investors are becoming more selective, guidance increases still matter because they show management has more confidence in the year ahead than Wall Street may have previously expected.
The company’s improved outlook reflects better expectations for the Health Care Benefits and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segments, although CVS remains cautious about macroeconomic headwinds and elevated cost trends. That caution is important. Healthcare companies do not operate in a simple environment. They deal with regulation, drug pricing pressure, insurance utilization, labor costs, reimbursement changes, and consumer affordability issues. But CVS also has an advantage that few healthcare companies can match: it touches millions of customers through insurance, pharmacy benefits, retail pharmacies, wellness services, and healthcare delivery channels.
CEO David Joyner emphasized CVS Health’s role in providing connected and convenient healthcare experiences for nearly 185 million people. That number is important because it shows the scale of the company’s reach. CVS is not just a pharmacy chain. It is a health solutions company with segments covering Health Care Benefits, Health Services, Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness, and Corporate/Other. This structure gives CVS multiple ways to engage patients and customers, from prescription fulfillment to insurance coverage to primary care-related services and health access points at the community level.
For long-term investors, the CVS thesis is really about whether the company can simplify healthcare delivery while improving profitability. That is a difficult job, but the prize is large. The U.S. healthcare system remains expensive, fragmented, and often frustrating for patients. A company that can connect pharmacy services, benefits management, insurance, and local healthcare access has the potential to create value if it executes well. CVS has the assets. The question is whether it can make those assets work together efficiently enough to satisfy patients, providers, regulators, and shareholders.
That is why CVS belongs in a list of cheap stocks to buy for the next decade. The stock offers exposure to a defensive sector, a massive customer base, improving earnings guidance, and a long-term need for more convenient healthcare access. It is not risk-free, and investors should not ignore cost pressures. But if CVS continues to recover margins, improve cash flow, and execute its connected-care strategy, the stock could become one of the more attractive healthcare value stocks for patient investors looking beyond short-term market noise.
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