Group 1: Company Overview - Cigna (CI) is a medical stock headquartered in Bloomfield, with a price change of 9.52% so far this year [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $1.51 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2%, which is higher than the Medical - HMOs industry's yield of 0.77% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.55% [3] Group 2: Dividend Performance - Cigna's annualized dividend of $6.04 has increased by 7.9% from the previous year [4] - Over the last 5 years, Cigna has raised its dividend 5 times, achieving an average annual increase of 81.54% [4] - The current payout ratio is 22%, indicating that Cigna pays out 22% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividends [4] Group 3: Earnings Growth and Future Outlook - For the fiscal year, Cigna expects solid earnings growth, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 at $29.68 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 8.60% [5] - Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth and the payout ratio [4] Group 4: Investment Considerations - Cigna is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend play and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6] - Income investors should be aware that high-yielding stocks may struggle during periods of rising interest rates [6]