For the quarter ended December 2022, Cigna (CI Quick QuoteCI - Free Report) reported revenue of $45.74 billion, up 0.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $4.96, compared to $4.77 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $45.58 billion, representing a surprise of +0.37%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +2.48%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $4.84.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

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

• Covered Lives By Market Segment- Medical Customers-U.S. Commercial-Total: 14852 thousand compared to the 14815.17 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.
• Medical Care Ratio: 84% versus 85.17% estimated by three analysts on average.
• Covered Lives By Funding Type- Medical Customers - U.S. Commercial insured: 2238 thousand versus the three-analyst average estimate of 2217.79 thousand.
• Premiums: $9.55 billion versus $9.65 billion estimated by eight analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -7.7% change.
• Fees and Other Revenues: $2.86 billion versus $2.86 billion estimated by eight analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +8.3% change.
• Net investment income: $212 million versus $288.58 million estimated by eight analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -44.2% change.
• Pharmacy revenues: $33.14 billion versus the eight-analyst average estimate of $33.82 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +2.5%.
• U.S. Government Premiums - Medicare Advantage: $1.82 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $1.91 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -12.5%.
• U.S. Commercial Premiums - Other: $353 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $369.36 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.3%.
• U.S. Commercial Premiums - Stop loss: $1.41 billion versus $1.36 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +12.2% change.
• U.S. Commercial Premiums - Risk/Insured: $3.89 billion compared to the $3.73 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +7.3% year over year.
• U.S. Government Premiums - Medicare PartD: $238 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $269.50 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -26.5%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Cigna here>>>

Shares of Cigna have returned -0.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.