Cigna Shares Plummet Following High Medical Costs in Q4
Jan 30, 2025

Cigna Shares Plummet Following High Medical Costs in Q4

Cigna Group shares experienced a significant drop after the health insurer reported unexpectedly high medical costs in the fourth quarter. According to Bloomberg, these costs were mainly driven by "stop loss" plans, which are provisions employers use to cover catastrophic medical claims.

The share price fell as much as 10% during early trading in New York, marking its largest intraday loss since November 2022. This decline erased a 9.8% gain that Cigna had accumulated this year through the prior Wednesday's close. The recent report has stirred investor concerns about soaring medical costs across the industry, as similar trends were observed in UnitedHealth's reports.

Cigna's insurance business, primarily dealing with private health plans, was seen as less vulnerable to the types of expenses that have affected Medicare and Medicaid plans recently. Despite this, Cigna's health benefits segment allocated 87.9% of premium revenue to medical expenses in Q4, surpassing analyst expectations. Cigna CFO Brian Evanko highlighted an increase in high-cost claim frequency, particularly related to surgeries and cancer treatments.

As high costs are anticipated to impact margins for the next two years, Cigna has projected medical spending to be between 83.2% and 84.2% of 2025 premium revenue, above the average industry estimate of 81.8%. The company's adjusted income from operations came in at $6.64 per share for the quarter ending December 31, lower than projections. Furthermore, 2025 profits are expected to be at least $29.50 per share, falling short of the average analyst estimate of $31.50.

Given the recent strong performance of Cigna shares, these results are likely to garner considerable attention, as noted by Jared Holz from Mizuho. While the forecast appears conservative, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop. Additionally, Cigna runs a prominent pharmacy benefits manager, which has been criticized by regulators and lawmakers for potentially contributing to elevated drug costs.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform

  1. 1. INTRODUCTION

    Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

    1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
    2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND AI PLATFORM
    3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
    4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
  2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    A Quick Overview of Market Performance

    1. KEY FINDINGS
    2. MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
  3. 3. MARKET OVERVIEW

    Understanding the Current State of The Market and Its Prospects

    1. MARKET SIZE
    2. CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY
    3. MARKET FORECAST TO 2030
  4. 4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCT

    Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

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    1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
    2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
    3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCT
    4. MOST TRADED PRODUCT
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  5. 5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

    Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

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    1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
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    1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
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    4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
  7. 7. GLOBAL PRODUCTION

    The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

    1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE
    2. PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY
  8. 8. GLOBAL IMPORTS

    The Largest Importers on The Market and How They Succeed

    1. IMPORTS FROM 2012–2024
    2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY
    3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY
  9. 9. GLOBAL EXPORTS

    The Largest Exporters on The Market and How They Succeed

    1. EXPORTS FROM 2012–2024
    2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY
    3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY
  10. 10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

    The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

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  11. 11. COUNTRY PROFILES

    The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

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    • United States
    • China
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    • France
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    • India
    • Canada
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    • Republic of Korea
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    • Pakistan
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    • Algeria
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    • Qatar
    • Peru
    • Romania
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  12. LIST OF TABLES

    1. Key Findings In 2024
    2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
    3. Market Value, 2012–2024
    4. Per Capita Consumption, By Country, 2018–2024
    5. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    6. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    7. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    8. Import Prices, By Country Of Destination, 2012–2024
    9. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    10. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    11. Export Prices, By Country Of Origin, 2012–2024
  13. LIST OF FIGURES

    1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
    2. Market Value, 2012–2024
    3. Consumption, By Country, 2024
    4. Market Volume Forecast to 2030
    5. Market Value Forecast to 2030
    6. Products: Market Size And Growth, By Type
    7. Products: Average Per Capita Consumption, By Type
    8. Products: Exports And Growth, By Type
    9. Products: Export Prices And Growth, By Type
    10. Production Volume And Growth
    11. Exports And Growth
    12. Export Prices And Growth
    13. Market Size And Growth
    14. Per Capita Consumption
    15. Imports And Growth
    16. Import Prices
    17. Production, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
    18. Production, In Value Terms, 2012–2024
    19. Production, By Country, 2024
    20. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    21. Imports, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
    22. Imports, In Value Terms, 2012–2024
    23. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
    24. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    25. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    26. Import Prices, By Country, 2012–2024
    27. Exports, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
    28. Exports, In Value Terms, 2012–2024
    29. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
    30. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    31. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
    32. Export Prices, 2012–2024

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