The Cigna Group CI is set to report first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings is currently pegged at $7.62 per share on revenues of $66.7 billion.
The first-quarter earnings estimate remained stable over the past seven days. The bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.1%. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 2%.
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For full-year 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cigna’s revenues is pegged at $284.7 billion, implying an increase of 3.7% year over year. Also, the consensus mark for 2026 EPS is pegged at $30.33, signaling growth of 1.6% year over year.
Cigna beat the earnings estimates in each of the last four quarters, with the average surprise being 2.7%. This is depicted in the figure below.
Cigna Group Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Cigna Group price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Cigna Group Quote
Q1 Earnings Whispers for Cigna
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for the company this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. However, that’s not the case here.
CI currently has an Earnings ESP of -0.31% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
What’s Shaping Cigna’s Q1 Results?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for pharmacy revenues indicates a 6.6% improvement from the prior-year quarter’s number. Also, the consensus estimate for fees and other revenues signals 4.7% year-over-year growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net investment income suggests 7.4% year-over-year growth.
The consensus mark for revenues from the overall Evernorth Health Services segment is pegged at $56.6 billion, indicating 5.5% growth from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus estimate for pre-tax adjusted income from Evernorth indicates a 0.7% increase from a year ago. The consensus mark for the medical care ratio or MCR is pegged at 80.81%, down from 82.20% a year ago.
However, the consensus mark for premiums implies a 24.6% decrease from the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark for Cigna’s total insured healthcare medical customers is pegged at 3.8 million, indicating a decline from 3.9 million a year ago. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cigna Healthcare revenues suggests a 19.5% decrease.
Stocks That Warrant a Look
While an earnings beat looks uncertain for Cigna, here are some companies from the broader Medical space that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this time around:
Agenus Inc. AGEN has an Earnings ESP of +7.69% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Agenus’ bottom line for the to-be-reported quarter indicates 289.3% year-over-year growth. Agenus beat earnings estimates in two of the past four quarters and missed twice, with the average surprise being 31.4%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $129.5 million.
The Ensign Group, Inc. ENSG presently has an Earnings ESP of +1.12% and a Zacks Rank #2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ensign Group’s bottom line for the to-be-reported quarter suggests 17.8% year-over-year growth. Ensign Group beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 2.9%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.4 billion.
Encompass Health Corporation EHC currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.17% and a Zacks Rank of 2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Encompass Health’s earnings for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $1.51 per share, suggesting 10.2% year-over-year growth. Encompass Health beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 12.1%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.6 billion.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
