Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.20 EPS

Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The health services provider reported $8.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.88 by $0.20, FiscalAI reports. Cigna Group had a net margin of 2.29% and a return on equity of 18.80%. The business had revenue of $72.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.64 EPS. Cigna Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Cigna Group updated its FY 2026 guidance to 30.250- EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Cigna Group’s conference call:

• The Cigna Group reported full-year adjusted revenue of $275 billion (11% growth) and adjusted EPS of $29.84 for 2025, and guided to at least $30.25 adjusted EPS for 2026 while returning over $5 billion to shareholders in 2025.
• Management announced a global FTC settlement resolving PBM matters (including the insulin case) that it says will deliver roughly $7 billion in out-of-pocket relief over 10 years and provides regulatory clarity that aligns with Cigna’s new rebate‑free PBM model, which Cigna plans to adopt for its fully insured book in 2027 and for at least 50% of Evernorth by end‑2028.
• Ascent GPO capabilities will be moved from Switzerland to the U.S., which management said could raise the company’s effective tax rate by up to about 1% over time if not mitigated.
• Evernorth’s specialty and care services remain a key growth driver (14% revenue growth; specialty scripts +13% in 2025), now representing roughly 35% of the company and supported by biosimilar uptake and strategic investments like Shields Health Solutions.
• The quarter included after‑tax special items of $483 million ($1.82 per share), and management plans back‑half weighted investments to build the rebate‑free PBM infrastructure that could pressure early‑2026 earnings and cash flow (2026 operating cash flow guide of ~$9 billion vs $9.6 billion in 2025).

Cigna Group Price Performance

CI traded up $7.34 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $291.87. 1,249,378 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,730,897. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $283.96. Cigna Group has a 52-week low of $239.51 and a 52-week high of $350.00. The company has a market capitalization of $77.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.86, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74.

Cigna Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.56 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. This is a positive change from Cigna Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Cigna Group’s payout ratio is 26.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on CI. Wolfe Research cut their price objective on Cigna Group from $345.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Cigna Group from $415.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Cigna Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Cigna Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Cigna Group from $372.00 to $315.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.16.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its stake in Cigna Group by 180.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 488 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $141,000 after buying an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. lifted its position in shares of Cigna Group by 235.9% in the third quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 2,963 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $854,000 after acquiring an additional 2,081 shares in the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cigna Group in the third quarter worth approximately $10,287,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Cigna Group by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 24,745 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $7,133,000 after purchasing an additional 2,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its stake in Cigna Group by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 402,543 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $115,295,000 after purchasing an additional 7,259 shares during the last quarter. 86.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Cigna Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Cigna Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results materially beat expectations — adjusted EPS $8.08 vs. ~$7.88 consensus and revenue $72.5B vs. ~$69.5B, driven by Evernorth/pharmacy and specialty volumes; investors viewed the print as confirmation of growth execution. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported roughly $6B in 2025 net income and double‑digit revenue growth for the year, underscoring operating scale and Evernorth momentum. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend to $1.56 (3.3% increase), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada kept an “outperform” stance and although it trimmed its price target to $333, it still implies significant upside from current levels — a supportive analyst vote of confidence. RBC PT Update
• Neutral Sentiment: FTC settlement for Express Scripts removes a regulatory overhang and promises lower insulin costs for patients — this reduces legal uncertainty but includes concessions that could affect PBM economics; market reaction is mixed. Reuters
• Neutral Sentiment: Leerink raised its price target to $297 but kept a “market perform” rating — a modestly constructive but cautious analyst signal. Leerink Update
• Negative Sentiment: 2026 EPS outlook was set at about $30.25 — slightly below some street estimates (~$30.35), signaling ongoing medical‑cost and margin pressures; this trimmed some of the upside from the beat and is the main caveat investors are weighing. Reuters Guidance Coverage

About Cigna Group

Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) is a global health services company that offers a broad portfolio of healthcare products and insurance solutions for individuals, employers, and governments. Its core businesses include medical and behavioral health plans, dental and vision coverage, pharmacy benefit management, and supplemental health products. Cigna serves a mix of commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid customers and provides workplace benefits such as group health plans and disability and life benefits for employers.

In addition to traditional insurance products, Cigna operates health services and care-delivery platforms designed to manage costs and improve outcomes.