July 13, 2023
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 S&P 500 Index
Cigna is listed as a top 10 stock on July 13, 2023 in the market index S&P 500 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 98 (top 98% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Cigna on July 13, 2023.
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 | July 13, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 98 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 56 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 11 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 94 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 98 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2022, 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 98, 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 98% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 56, 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 94. But the company’s financing is risky with a Safety rank of 11. This means 89% of comparable companies have a safer financing structure than Cigna. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 98, Cigna is better positioned than 98% 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 98), above-average growth (Growth Rank of 56), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 94), 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 11), 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 94 (better than 94% compared with alternatives) for 2022, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Cigna is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Cigna. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 41 (worse than 59% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to warn against investing in the stock of the company. But they are changing their opinions! Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 60, which indicates a shift in stock research experts opinions for the better. In other words, they are getting more optimistic about stock investments in Cigna. Even better, the Professional Investors rank is 88, meaning that professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 88% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Furthermore, Market Pulse has a rank of 93, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are upbeat when discussing this company (more positive news than for 93% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 94 (more positive than 94% compared with investment alternatives), Cigna has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. While analysts are still critical of the company, some are changing their minds. In addition, the professional news channels are optimistic, and many institutional investors have already bought stock in the company. These are encouraging signals, despite the still lower level of analyst recommendations. They may be due to a problematic past, and about to change. The positive sentiment signals are stronger than the negative. ...read more
Value Strategy: Cigna Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2022, Cigna shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for Cigna. Price-to-Sales is 87 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 87% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for Cigna's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than for 77% of alternatives, and this is also true for the Price-to-Book capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 60. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of Cigna are expected to be higher than for 87% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 87). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 98, is a buy recommendation based on Cigna's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since all value metrics are above the industry average, there is no objection to investing in Cigna based on its detailed value metrics.
Growth Strategy: Cigna Growth Momentum good
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 56 (better than 56% compared with alternatives), Cigna shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Cigna. Sales Growth has a rank of 94 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 94% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 60. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 12, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 88% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 43, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 56, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is a surprising picture, as the messages from the operating growth indicators of revenues, profits, and invested capital are mixed, while stock returns are above average. It may indicate new intellectual properties, such as brand improvement or a strong market position that shows in revenues but not in the capital. The low profit-growth rate may indicate an early phase where costs are still high, and revenues don't fully cover upfront investments or fixed costs. The positive investor outlook with a 60% peer outperformance is reaffirmed in this case which may be a good sign for an investment into a well-protected high-growth company. This fact needs to be confirmed by researching the company website and press. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Cigna Debt Financing Safety risky
| SAFETY METRICS | July 13, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 35 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 6 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 53 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 11 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 11 (better than 11% compared with alternatives), the company Cigna has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly 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 53, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 53% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 6, 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 94% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 35, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 65% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 11 (worse than 89% compared with alternatives), Cigna has a financing structure that is significantly 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 Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | July 13, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 98 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 56 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 53 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 59 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 59 (better than 59% compared with investment alternatives), Cigna (Health Care Services, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Cigna are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 98 (better than 98% of alternatives), show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 56) but are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 11), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 59, is a 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 98) and above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 56), it could be argued that the risk-taking in financing (Obermatt Safety Rank of only 11) 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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