For the quarter ended September 2024, Cigna (CI) reported revenue of $63.7 billion, up 29.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $7.51, compared to $6.77 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $59.83 billion, representing a surprise of +6.46%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +4.02%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $7.22.

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:

• Medical Care Ratio - Cigna Healthcare: 82.8% compared to the 83% average estimate based on eight analysts.

• Medical Customers - Total: 19.05 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of 19.17 million.

• Total Medical Customers - Medicare Part D: 2.56 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of 2.56 million.

• Medical Customers - International Health administrative services: 433 thousand versus the three-analyst average estimate of 428.33 thousand.

• Revenues- Net investment income: $85 million versus the six-analyst average estimate of $293.78 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -73.5%.

• Revenues- Premiums: $11.44 billion versus $11.40 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4% change.

• Revenues- Evernorth Health Services: $52.46 billion versus $48.96 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +35.9% change.

• Revenues- Pharmacy: $48.28 billion versus $44.47 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +39.8% change.

• Revenues- Fees and Other: $3.89 billion versus $3.50 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +21.6% change.

• Revenues- Cigna Healthcare- Premiums: $11.30 billion compared to the $11.27 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.5% year over year.

• Revenues- Cigna Healthcare- Premiums- U.S. Commercial - Total: $10.39 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $9.66 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +71.5%.

• Revenues- Cigna Healthcare- Premiums- U.S. Government - Medicare Advantage: $2.11 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $2.19 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -3.6%.