The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Stock Holdings Lifted by Banco Santander S.A.

Banco Santander S.A. raised its position in shares of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,374 shares of the health services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $4,245,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Insider Transactions at The Cigna Group

In other The Cigna Group news, CEO David Cordani sold 26,527 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 127,767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $39,367,568.04. This represents a 17.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Nicole S. Jones sold 4,904 shares of The Cigna Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.12, for a total transaction of $1,511,020.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 29,421 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,065,198.52. This trade represents a 14.29 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $360.00 target price (down from $415.00) on shares of The Cigna Group in a report on Friday, January 31st. Oppenheimer decreased 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. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded The Cigna Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $323.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Cigna Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of The Cigna Group from $403.00 to $379.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $372.31.

The Cigna Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CI opened at $321.48 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.26, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.53. The Cigna Group has a one year low of $262.03 and a one year high of $370.83. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $292.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $317.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 1.39% and a return on equity of 18.61%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.79 earnings per share. Sell-side 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 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 represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.88%. This is an increase from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. The Cigna Group’s payout ratio is presently 49.35%.

The Cigna Group 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.