Cigna earnings: third quarter 2026

Cigna, the health insurer and pharmacy services group, grew sales 6% to $73.7 billion in the third quarter of 2026. Its adjusted profit per share edged up about 2% to $7.98, and it raised its forecast for the year for the second quarter running. Reported profit per share fell about 22% to $5.47, mostly because a year ago included a one-off gain from selling businesses. Underneath, profit from running the business was flat: a strong insurance business was held back by its pharmacy side. ¹

Against what analysts expected

Cigna's adjusted profit per share of $7.98 was about 7% above the $7.46 analysts expected on average, according to Nasdaq's earnings calendar; that forecast is set against the adjusted figure, as its reported figure of $5.47 includes items the forecast does not count. ¹²

The strong points

• Sales rose 6% from a year earlier to $73.7 billion, with growth in both the pharmacy services and the health insurance businesses. ¹
• The insurance business, Cigna Healthcare, grew its profit about 15% to $1.19 billion. ¹
• Shares outstanding fell to about 263.4 million from 267.1 million a year earlier, as the company bought back its own shares. ¹

The weak points

• Profit from running the business, as the company measures it, was flat at about $2.1 billion despite the higher sales. ¹
• The share of insurance premiums paid out in medical costs edged up to 85.0% from 84.8%. ¹

What the company expects

• Cigna now expects adjusted profit per share for 2026 of at least $30.60, up from at least $30.45 in its previous forecast. ¹
• It kept its forecast for the pharmacy and care services business, Evernorth, at at least $6.9 billion of profit before tax for the year. ¹

Our verdict on the quarter

A very strong report. Cigna raised its profit forecast for the year for the second time and earned clearly more per share than analysts expected, on sales up 6% - though underneath, profit from running the business was flat as the pharmacy side held back the insurance gains.

The results as published

• The results release itself
• The filing it came with (SEC)
• The previous results, for what it forecast then

Notes

1. Cigna's results release, 5 November 2026: sec.gov. ↩
2. Nasdaq's earnings calendar, 5 November 2026. ↩