The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) has received a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $373.25.

CI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $348.00 target price (down from $394.00) on shares of The Cigna Group in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com raised shares of The Cigna Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Stephens cut their price target on shares of The Cigna Group from $410.00 to $380.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of The Cigna Group from $390.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on The Cigna Group from $420.00 to $339.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st.

Insider Activity at The Cigna Group

In related news, insider Noelle K. Eder sold 9,944 shares of The Cigna Group stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $3,182,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 13,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,289,920. This trade represents a 42.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO David Cordani sold 26,527 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.12, for a total transaction of $8,173,499.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 127,767 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,367,568.04. The trade was a 17.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 43,751 shares of company stock worth $13,603,991 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. TCTC Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in The Cigna Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of The Cigna Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Cigna Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. 86.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Cigna Group Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of The Cigna Group stock opened at $324.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $304.67 and a 200-day moving average of $314.08. The Cigna Group has a 52-week low of $262.03 and a 52-week high of $370.83. The stock has a market cap of $88.94 billion, a PE ratio of 26.55, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.53.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The health services provider reported $6.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.84 by ($1.20). The Cigna Group had a return on equity of 18.61% and a net margin of 1.39%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.79 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Cigna Group will post 29.77 EPS for the current year.

The Cigna Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th were paid a $1.51 dividend. This is a boost from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The Cigna Group’s payout ratio is currently 49.35%.

The Cigna Group Company Profile

The Cigna Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and related products and services in the United States. Its Evernorth Health Services segment provides a range of coordinated and point solution health services, including pharmacy benefits, home delivery pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, distribution, and care delivery and management solutions to health plans, employers, government organizations, and health care providers.