Sanctuary Advisors LLC Acquires 1,239 Shares of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI)

Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its holdings in The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 50,099 shares of the health services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,239 shares during the quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $14,177,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of CI. Collier Financial bought a new stake in The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in The Cigna Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in The Cigna Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. 86.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on CI. StockNews.com downgraded The Cigna Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on The Cigna Group from $398.00 to $394.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price target on The Cigna Group from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on The Cigna Group from $370.00 to $341.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens cut their price target on The Cigna Group from $410.00 to $380.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Cigna Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $373.69.

The Cigna Group Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE CI opened at $294.75 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $285.91 and its 200 day moving average is $320.38. 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 has a 12 month low of $262.03 and a 12 month high of $370.83. The stock has a market cap of $81.98 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.54.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The health services provider reported $6.64 EPS 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 firm earned $6.79 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that The Cigna Group will post 29.8 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. Stockholders 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 2.05%. This is a boost from The Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 5th. The Cigna Group’s dividend payout ratio is 45.75%.

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.