The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Shares Acquired by IFP Advisors Inc

IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) by 154.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,001 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,685 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $3,038,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CI. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in The Cigna Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new position in The Cigna Group during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. 86.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Cigna Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CI opened at $300.80 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $286.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $319.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.67 billion, a PE ratio of 24.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.54. The Cigna Group has a fifty-two week low of $262.03 and a fifty-two week high of $370.83. 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 Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $6.79 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Cigna Group will post 29.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Cigna Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This is a positive change from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The Cigna Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.35%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CI has been the subject of several research reports. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on The Cigna Group from $400.00 to $375.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of The Cigna Group from $398.00 to $394.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Cigna Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of The Cigna Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $323.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on The Cigna Group from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, The Cigna Group has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $372.31.

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.