The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Shares Acquired by Xponance Inc.

Xponance Inc. boosted its holdings in The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 44,583 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 612 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $12,311,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CreativeOne Wealth LLC increased its position in The Cigna Group by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 1,219 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $422,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. increased its position in shares of The Cigna Group by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,883 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $520,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Meridian Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Cigna Group by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,670 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,013,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Co increased its position in shares of The Cigna Group by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,080 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Jacobi Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Cigna Group by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Jacobi Capital Management LLC now owns 1,749 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. 86.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Elder Granger sold 2,376 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.35, for a total transaction of $737,391.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO David Cordani sold 26,527 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.12, for a total value of $8,173,499.24. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 43,751 shares of company stock worth $13,603,991. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

The Cigna Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Cigna Group stock opened at $322.15 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $88.17 billion, a PE ratio of 26.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $298.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $315.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The Cigna Group has a 12 month low of $262.03 and a 12 month high of $370.83.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The health services provider reported $6.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 last year, the firm posted $6.79 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.87%. This is a positive change from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. The Cigna Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on The Cigna Group from $400.00 to $375.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on The Cigna Group from $370.00 to $341.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $355.00 price target on The Cigna Group in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on The Cigna Group from $403.00 to $379.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on The Cigna Group from $390.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target 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.