Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Sell-Side Analysts

Key Points

• Cigna has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from 23 analysts, with 15 buy ratings and eight holds. The average one-year price target is $337.10, above the reported share price of $274.94.
• Cigna reported quarterly EPS of $7.78, exceeding the $7.60 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $70.04 billion. Analysts expect approximately $30.51 in EPS for the current year.
• Insiders sold 22,730 shares worth roughly $6.3 million last quarter, while institutional investors own 86.99% of the stock. Cigna also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.56, equivalent to a 2.3% annualized yield.

Cigna Group (NYSE:CI - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-three ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $337.10.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho boosted their target price on Cigna Group from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Cigna Group from $305.00 to $307.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Cigna Group from $370.00 to $346.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on Cigna Group from $338.00 to $361.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Cigna Group from $304.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st.

Insider Activity at Cigna Group

In related news, insider Everett Neville sold 617 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.05, for a total value of $175,258.85. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,053 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,435,304.65. The trade was a 10.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Nicole S. Jones sold 19,436 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.27, for a total transaction of $5,369,583.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 27,256 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,530,015.12. The trade was a 41.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 22,730 shares of company stock valued at $6,293,359 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Cigna Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Evercore Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Cigna Group by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Evercore Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,301 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its position in shares of Cigna Group by 2.6% in the second quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 1,483 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $409,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. West Family Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of Cigna Group by 4.2% in the second quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 919 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $253,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Whetstone Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cigna Group by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Whetstone Capital Advisors LLC now owns 829 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas boosted its stake in shares of Cigna Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 5,676 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $1,566,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cigna Group Trading Up 1.1%

CI opened at $274.94 on Wednesday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $279.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $280.51. The firm has a market cap of $72.65 billion, a PE ratio of 11.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.31. Cigna Group has a twelve month low of $239.51 and a twelve month high of $315.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.76.

Cigna Group (NYSE:CI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The health services provider reported $7.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.18. Cigna Group had a net margin of 2.27% and a return on equity of 19.75%. The company had revenue of $70.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.20 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Cigna Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 30.450- EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Cigna Group will post 30.51 EPS for the current year.

Cigna Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were paid a $1.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $6.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Cigna Group's payout ratio is presently 25.82%.

About Cigna Group

The Cigna Group NYSE: CI is a global health company that provides health care and related services to individuals, employers, government organizations and health plans. Its operations are primarily organized through Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, which together address health coverage, pharmacy services, care delivery and benefit management.

Cigna Healthcare offers medical, dental, behavioral health, disability and other benefits, with a focus on employer-sponsored and individual health plans in the United States as well as international health services.

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