Cigna (CI) reported $65.68 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 28.4%. EPS of $6.64 for the same period compares to $6.79 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +3.85% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $63.25 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $7.83, the EPS surprise was -15.20%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Cigna performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Medical Care Ratio - Cigna Healthcare: 87.9% versus 84.5% estimated by eight analysts on average.
• Medical Customers - Total: 19.15 million compared to the 19.17 million average estimate based on five analysts.
• Total Medical Customers - Medicare Part D: 2.57 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of 2.56 million.
• Medical Customers - U.S. Healthcare administrative services: 13.65 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of 13.63 million.
• Revenues- Fees and Other: $3.93 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $3.73 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +29%.
• Revenues- Premiums: $11.50 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $11.45 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +2.9%.
• Revenues- Pharmacy: $49.94 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $48.20 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +36.4%.
• Revenues- Evernorth Health Services: $53.74 billion compared to the $51.10 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +32.6% year over year.
• Revenues- Cigna Healthcare- Premiums: $11.38 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $11.27 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +2.5%.
• Revenues- Net investment income: $277 million versus $254.43 million estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -4.5% change.
• Revenues- Cigna Healthcare: $13.30 billion versus $13.37 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.5% change.
• Revenues- Evernorth Health Services- Pharmacy: $50.75 billion versus $48.74 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +34.4% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Cigna here>>>

Shares of Cigna have returned +9.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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