The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Shares Sold by Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC

Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC decreased its position in The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) by 17.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 247 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 53 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $68,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP increased its position in The Cigna Group by 106.1% during the 4th quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP now owns 22,616 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $6,245,000 after purchasing an additional 11,641 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in shares of The Cigna Group by 115.7% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 3,495 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $965,000 after buying an additional 1,875 shares in the last quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in The Cigna Group by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 938 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Disciplined Investors L.L.C. purchased a new position in The Cigna Group in the fourth quarter worth $262,000. Finally, OneAscent Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in The Cigna Group by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. OneAscent Financial Services LLC now owns 1,832 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $506,000 after acquiring an additional 520 shares during the period. 86.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Cigna Group Stock Performance

NYSE:CI opened at $322.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $88.13 billion, a PE ratio of 26.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.50. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $308.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $313.00. The Cigna Group has a 1-year low of $262.03 and a 1-year high of $370.83.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The health services provider reported $6.64 earnings per share 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 period in the previous year, the business posted $6.79 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that The Cigna Group will post 29.77 EPS for the current year.

The Cigna Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th were paid a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.88%. This is an increase from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The Cigna Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.35%.

Insider Transactions at The Cigna Group

In other The Cigna Group news, CEO David Cordani sold 26,527 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.12, for a total transaction of $8,173,499.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 127,767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $39,367,568.04. The trade was a 17.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elder Granger sold 2,376 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.35, for a total value of $737,391.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 5,471 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,697,924.85. This trade represents a 30.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 43,751 shares of company stock worth $13,603,991 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens lowered their price target on shares of The Cigna Group from $410.00 to $380.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on shares of The Cigna Group from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $355.00 target price on shares of The Cigna Group in a report on Friday, January 31st. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $360.00 price target (down previously from $415.00) on shares of The Cigna Group in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $348.00 price objective (down from $394.00) on shares of The Cigna Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $373.25.

About The Cigna Group

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.