CVS

CVS in brief

• Rank: #100 of 100 in America's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #9 of 9 in Retail & E-Commerce.
• WCRC Power Score: 66.88 out of 100.
• Founded: 1963, by Stanley Goldstein, Sidney Goldstein and Ralph Hoagland.
• Owner: CVS Health Corporation, Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
• Leadership: David Joyner, President and CEO.
• Latest revenue: $402.1bn revenue (FY2025, +7.8%), as per company filings.

What makes CVS powerful

CVS is the neighborhood pharmacy for millions of Americans and, through Aetna, one of the country's largest health insurers. Few health brands touch so many people so often. Its red heart logo sits over about 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, and it is the place many families turn to for prescriptions, vaccines and everyday health needs.

That reach shows in the numbers. In the third quarter of 2026 CVS filled 470.0 million prescriptions, up 1.9%, and its Aetna business covered 26.1 million medical members. Its pharmacy unit gained from buying prescription files from Rite Aid in 2025, which helped lift that segment's adjusted operating income by 10.6% in the quarter. CVS also built trust years ago with a bold choice: it stopped selling tobacco in 2014.

CVS stands for Consumer Value Stores, and it stopped selling tobacco in 2014.

Why CVS ranks #100

CVS sits at #100 with a WCRC Power Score of 66.88, just behind 3M and DoorDash, closing out the list. It scores well on positioning and recall, as a familiar pharmacy on Main Streets across the country, and on consumer trust built through daily contact. Pressure on its insurance and care delivery businesses has weighed on its financial strength, which keeps it behind the brands above. Its improving results in 2026 secure its place in the top 100.

The Achilles' heel

CVS's Achilles' heel is the squeeze on its health care businesses. Rising medical costs hurt its insurance margins, and its bets on primary care have been costly. In the third quarter of 2025 it took a $5.7 billion goodwill impairment on its Health Care Delivery unit, and it is closing some Oak Street clinics in 2026. Aetna's medical membership also fell to 26.1 million from 26.7 million a year earlier.

The 2026 story

CVS's 2026 story is a steady recovery under chief executive David Joyner. Aetna improved its cost control, with its medical benefit ratio falling to 91.3% in the third quarter from 92.8% a year earlier. More than 69% of Aetna Medicare Advantage members are in 2027 plans rated four stars or higher. On Nov. 4, 2026 CVS raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance to at least $8.20 per share. Joyner said "each of our businesses delivered another quarter of strong results." The company remains cautious about elevated medical cost trends for the rest of the year.

Pillar profile

Provisional desk scores out of 100, for the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit to validate.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Retail & E-Commerce brands
• Biggest American Brands by Revenue
• Most powerful brands in Rhode Island

Key facts

Sources

• Annual report (Form 10-K) and financial results of CVS Health Corporation filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data