May 23, 2024
Top 10 Stock Cigna Strong Buy Recommendation
How to read the ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Snapshot: Cigna – Top 10 Stock in Dividend Champions United States
Cigna is listed as a top 10 stock on May 23, 2024 in the market index Dividends USA because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. As three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, it is a solid investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is low. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 100 (top 100% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Cigna on May 23, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Health Care Services |
| Index | Dividends USA, Diversity USA, Human Rights, D.J. US Health Care, S&P 500 |
| Size class | XX-Large |
When Obermatt identifies the Top 10 stocks in a market, it’s based on a certain investment strategy. The best performing stocks usually aren’t the ones that everyone is talking about (those are often "over-priced" and have low Value ranks).
For each investment strategy, we provide you with more detailed analysis and our recommendation. You see the ranks of the top 10 stocks ranked by that particular investment strategy (360° View, Sentiment, Value, Growth, Safety and Combined Financial Performance).
360° View: Obermatt 360° View Cigna Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | May 23, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 96 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 80 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 39 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 100 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 100 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Cigna are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Cigna. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 96, which means that the share price of Cigna is on the lower side compared with the typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is lower than for 96% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 80, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth, as well as stock returns. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 100. But the company’s financing is risky with a Safety rank of 39. This means 61% of comparable companies have a safer financing structure than Cigna. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 100, Cigna is better positioned than 100% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, such as good value (Value Rank of 96), above-average growth (Growth Rank of 80), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 100), it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is limited, and disappointments are less likely, unless information not publicly available. Only the company financing structure is on the riskier side (Safety Rank of 39), but that would also mean better returns for shareholders if things work out well. Good value is sometimes an indication that the company's future is challenging. If they have been growing above average and are still a good value, it may indicate that this will not continue. We recommend evaluating whether the future of Cigna is as difficult as the low price of the stock, despite good growth and positive professional investor sentiment, suggests. Since the professional community is optimistic, you might have less to worry about, and the stock is just not sufficiently visible right now, which may indicate good timing. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Cigna very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Cigna is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for Cigna. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 70 (better than 70% of alternative investments), which means that, currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. Analyst Opinions Change is also positive with a rank of 88, which means that stock research experts are changing their opinions for the better and recommending investing in the company. They are getting more optimistic about stock investments in Cigna. The Professional Investors rank is 89, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 89% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 82 which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the positive side when discussing this company (more positive news than for 82% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 100 (more positive than 100% compared with investment alternatives), Cigna has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. Since all market sentiment indicators are positive, the professional community highly recommends investment in the company. Does this mean Cigna stocks are a safe investment? Far from it. Even professionals make mistakes. Especially in stock investing, there is a tendency to follow the leaders. Since trees don't grow to the heavens, such positive sentiment may also be interpreted as a danger sign. A lot of optimism can often be a sign of troubles to come, albeit unforeseen by most. ...read more
Value Strategy: Cigna Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Cigna shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Cigna. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 78, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 78% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Cigna's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 78% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 87 (dividends are expected to be higher than 87% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 54% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Cigna to 46. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 96, is a buy recommendation based on Cigna's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner in assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the three good value ranks for Sales, Profits, and Dividends are reliable indicators for the stock price value. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Cigna Growth Momentum high
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 80 (better than 80% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Cigna shows one of the highest growth dynamics in its industry. Investors also speak of high momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Cigna. Profit Growth has a rank of 54 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 54% of its competitors. The same is valid for capital growth and stock returns. Capital Growth has a rank of 76, and Stock Returns has a rank of 90 which means that the stock returns have recently been above 90% of alternative investments. Only revenue growth is low with a Sales Growth has a rank of 43 (57% of its competitors are better). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 80, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The many positive growth indicators indicate a positive growth momentum with only low revenue growth. That can also be attributed to divestments or the sale of unprofitable businesses. If that is the reason, overall growth is well on track to making this stock attractive for growth investors. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Cigna Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | May 23, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 44 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 11 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 67 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 39 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 39 (better than 39% compared with alternatives), the company Cigna has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Cigna is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for Cigna. Liquidity is at 67, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 67% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 11, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 89% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 44, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 56% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 39 (worse than 61% compared with alternatives), Cigna has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Cigna Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | May 23, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 96 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 80 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 67 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 97 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 97 (better than 97% compared with investment alternatives), Cigna (Health Care Services, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Cigna are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 96 (better than 96% of alternatives), show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 80) but are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 39), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 97, is a strong buy recommendation based on Cigna's financial characteristics. As the company Cigna's key financial metrics exhibit excellent performance in two areas, such as good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 96) and above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 80), it could be argued that the risk-taking in financing (Obermatt Safety Rank of only 39) indicates that the company is optimistic about the future and sees debt as an opportunity to boost returns. More debt means more shareholder returns if everything goes well. However, higher debt burdens are risky when interest rates rise or the business deteriorates in a crisis. If you believe the company's future is market-typical or even better, this could be an argument for a share purchase. ...read more
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