CVS vs. MDLN: CVS Health vs. Medline Stock Comparison
How do CVS Health (CVS) and Medline (MDLN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
CVS Health (CVS) and Medline (MDLN) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but CVS is classified in Health Care Providers & Services while MDLN is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies.
CVS Health (CVS) has been public since February 21, 1973, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Medline (MDLN) listed only on December 17, 2025 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | CVS Health Corporation Common Stock | Medline Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Health Care Equipment & Services | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Providers & Services | Health Care Equipment & Supplies |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Health Care Services | Health Care Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 107.28 billion USD | 52.17 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | December 17, 2025 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 11.41% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.73% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 1.70% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Medline (MDLN) reports a negative beta of -0.93, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. CVS Health (CVS) has a non-negative beta of 0.60.
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 34.14% | 47.93% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.60 | -0.93 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -56.79% | -36.71% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 8.60M | 8.63M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both CVS and MDLN need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.21 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.28 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both CVS Health (CVS) at 14.36% and Medline (MDLN) at 4.85% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
14.36%
- Max
- 47.61%
- CVS
- 14.36%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.85%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- MDLN
- 4.85%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both CVS Health (CVS) at 2.64% and Medline (MDLN) at 1.85% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.64%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- CVS
- 2.64%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.85%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- MDLN
- 1.85%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both CVS Health (CVS) at 2.72% and Medline (MDLN) at 5.22% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.72%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- CVS
- 2.72%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.22%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- MDLN
- 5.22%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 14.36% | 4.85% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.11% | 2.70% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 2.64% | 1.85% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 2.72% | 5.22% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 13.72% | 24.42% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Only one side can be read here: CVS Health (CVS) reports revenue growth of 7.85%, ranked against its industry; Medline (MDLN) has no revenue growth figure this period.
EPS Growth
Medline (MDLN) at 117.38% delivers above-range EPS growth, while CVS Health (CVS) at -62.02% falls into the bottom quartile — a wide split in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 7.85% | -- |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 7.63% | -- |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -62.02% | 117.38% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -24.73% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Medline (MDLN) at 4.04 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while CVS Health (CVS) at 0.85 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.85
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- CVS
- 0.85
- Min
- 0.30
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.04
- Max
- 7.59
- MDLN
- 4.04
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Medline (MDLN) at 0.65 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while CVS Health (CVS) at 0.93 uses more debt funding than most peers.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.93
- Max
- 1.88
- CVS
- 0.93
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.65
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- MDLN
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.85 | 4.04 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.93 | 0.65 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.49 | 3.35 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile CVS Health (CVS) reports a yield of 3.27%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.27%
- CVS
- 3.27%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- MDLN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile CVS Health (CVS) reports a payout of 30.89%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
30.89%
- CVS
- 30.89%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- MDLN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.27% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 30.89% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
CVS Health (CVS) at 9.74 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Medline (MDLN) at 90.09 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
9.74
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- CVS
- 9.74
- Min
- 4.21
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
90.09
- MDLN
- 90.09
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)
CVS Health (CVS) at 0.26 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Medline (MDLN) at 1.70 prices around its industry’s middle — CVS costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.26
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- CVS
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.03
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.70
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- MDLN
- 1.70
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
CVS Health (CVS) at 1.33 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Medline (MDLN) at 2.95 is valued near its industry’s middle — CVS is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
CVS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.33
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- CVS
- 1.33
- Min
- -1.31
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.95
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- MDLN
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CVS | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 9.74 | 90.09 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | 1.70 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.33 | 2.95 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 11.02% | 2.67% |