Is It Time To Reassess Cigna Group (CI) After Recent Share Price Stability?
Cigna Group CI | 270.02 | +1.01% |
- Wondering whether Cigna Group is offering good value at around US$290.85 a share, or if the market is pricing it about right? This article walks through the key valuation angles you will want to consider.
- The stock has recently been steady to positive, with returns of 2.7% over the past 7 days, 6.1% over the past 30 days and 4.2% year to date, set against a 4.7% decline over the past year and longer term returns of 6.5% over 3 years and 34.8% over 5 years.
- These moves sit alongside ongoing attention on large US health insurers, as investors weigh regulatory developments, industry wide cost trends and the role of diversified health services in employer and government plans. For Cigna Group, that context helps frame whether the recent shorter term strength is a reset in expectations or just noise around a longer term trend.
- Cigna Group currently scores 5 out of 6 on Simply Wall St's valuation checks, suggesting it screens as undervalued on most of the measures behind its valuation score. Next, we will walk through how different valuation methods assess the stock, and then finish with a way of looking at value that can tie all those approaches together at the end of the article.
Approach 1: Cigna Group Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
A Discounted Cash Flow model takes estimates of a company’s future cash flows and discounts them back to today’s dollars, to get an estimate of what the whole business might be worth right now.
For Cigna Group, the model used is a 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity approach, based on cash flow projections in US$. The latest twelve month free cash flow is about $8.0b. Analyst inputs and extrapolated estimates suggest free cash flow of $9.8b in 2030, with a path of projected cash flows between now and 2035, some based on analyst forecasts and the later years extrapolated by Simply Wall St.
Bringing all those projected cash flows back to today, the DCF model arrives at an estimated intrinsic value of about $849.61 per share. Compared with the recent share price of about $290.85, this implies the stock screens as around 65.8% undervalued under these assumptions.
Result: UNDERVALUED
Our Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis suggests Cigna Group is undervalued by 65.8%. Track this in your watchlist or portfolio, or discover 45 more high quality undervalued stocks.
Approach 2: Cigna Group Price vs Earnings
For a profitable company like Cigna Group, the P/E ratio is a straightforward way to think about value, because it links what you pay per share to the earnings that each share generates today. Investors usually accept a higher P/E when they expect stronger growth or see lower risk, and a lower P/E when growth expectations are more modest or risks feel higher.
Cigna Group currently trades on a P/E of 12.87x. That sits below the Healthcare industry average of 23.65x and below the peer group average of 30.83x. On the surface, that gap suggests the market is assigning a lower earnings multiple than many other Healthcare names.
Simply Wall St’s Fair Ratio for Cigna Group is 32.02x. This is a proprietary estimate of what Cigna Group’s P/E might be given factors like its earnings growth profile, industry, profit margins, market cap and company specific risks. Because it bakes in these company level characteristics, the Fair Ratio can be a more tailored reference point than a simple comparison with peers or the broad industry. Set against that 32.02x Fair Ratio, the current 12.87x P/E points to Cigna Group screening as undervalued on this measure.
Result: UNDERVALUED
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Upgrade Your Decision Making: Choose your Cigna Group Narrative
Earlier we mentioned that there is an even better way to understand valuation. On Simply Wall St’s Community page you can use Narratives, where you tell a simple story about Cigna Group, link that story to your own forecasts for revenue, earnings and margins, and see how that rolls up into a Fair Value. You can then compare it with the current price to guide your timing, with the whole view updating as new news or earnings arrive. One investor might build a Narrative that leans toward the higher US$428.00 analyst target with stronger confidence in higher margins and onsite care growth. Another might sit closer to the US$300.00 end of the range if they are more focused on risks around Evernorth, PBM regulation and exposure to commercial clients.
Do you think there's more to the story for Cigna Group? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying!
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
