Business Corpus: CVS Health 'Moving Forward' With Aetna Deal As Earnings Top EstimatesCVS Health said it's making progress in the regulatory review of its $68 billion deal to buy health insurer Aetna after first-quarter earnings came in higher than analysts anticipated. Both... Read More The post CVS Health 'Moving Forward' With Aetna Deal As Earnings Top Estimates appeared first on Investor's Business Daily.

[Collection]

CVS Health (CVS) said it's making progress in the regulatory review of its $68 billion deal to buy health insurer Aetna (AET) after first-quarter earnings came in higher than analysts anticipated.

Both CVS and rival Express Scripts (ESRX) are trying to get their mega mergers approved by regulators, as drug middlemen combine with large insurers in the U.S. to offer a larger suite of medical services under one roof. The two deals are being reviewed by the Justice Department.

"We are moving forward on both the regulatory and integration planning fronts in support of a close in the second half of this year and a smooth, efficient integration of operations," CVS Health Chief Executive Officer Larry Merlo said in a statement Wednesday.

Earnings were were $1.48 a share, excluding some items, CVS Health said, compared with the $1.41 average of 20 analysts' predictions compiled by Bloomberg. Revenue rose 2.6% to $45.7 billion, in line with the $45.8 billion average of estimates.

The shares gained 2% to 69.33 in stock market trading.

CVS's proposed takeover of Aetna would bring together around 10,000 CVS stores and the health insurer's 22 million customers. A central plank of the deal is transforming the stores into health hubs where consumers can get care, pick up their drugs, buy some cosmetics, and stay out of the hospital. In a sign of its ambition, last month, CVS hired a senior executive from a startup that specializes in primary-care clinics to oversee expanded health-care services across the company.

Aetna reported first-quarter earnings that surpassed estimates Tuesday.

"Aetna is firing on all cylinders, validating that CVS would gain pristine health insurance assets should the deal go through," wrote Jason McGorman, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

Concerns that Amazon.com (AMZN) may start directly competing with CVS by selling prescription drugs have receded recently, following a CNBC report in April that the internet retailer had shelved plans too sell drugs to hospitals and other businesses.

The post CVS Health 'Moving Forward' With Aetna Deal As Earnings Top Estimates appeared first on Investor's Business Daily.