Stephens Inc. AR Decreases Position in The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI)

Stephens Inc. AR trimmed its stake in The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) by 42.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,857 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 5,728 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $2,170,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in The Cigna Group during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Ulland Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Cigna Group by 2,500.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ulland Investment Advisors LLC now owns 104 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Cigna Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in The Cigna Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.99% of the company’s stock.

The Cigna Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CI opened at $295.46 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $288.96 and a 200 day moving average of $322.16. 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 company has a market capitalization of $82.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.54. The Cigna Group has a 52 week low of $262.03 and a 52 week high of $370.83.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last released its quarterly 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 in the prior year, the business earned $6.79 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Cigna Group will post 29.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Cigna Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. This is a boost from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 5th. The Cigna Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.75%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. 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. Barclays cut their price objective on The Cigna Group from $420.00 to $339.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on The Cigna Group from $398.00 to $394.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $360.00 price target (down from $415.00) on shares of The Cigna Group in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of The Cigna Group from $384.00 to $377.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Cigna Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $373.69.

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.