Cigna buys St. Louis-based Express Scripts

3/8/2018

St. Louis-based Express Scripts, the largest company headquartered in Missouri, is being bought by health insurer Cigna in a cash and stock transaction worth a whopping $67 billion, the companies announced Thursday. Cigna issued a news release saying it would also assume about $15 billion in Express Scripts’ debt. 

“Cigna’s acquisition of Express Scripts brings together two complementary customer-centric services companies, well-positioned to drive greater quality and affordability for customers,” said Cigna’s president and CEO David Cordani. “This combination accelerates Cigna’s enterprise mission of improving the health, well-being and sense of security of those we serve, and in turn, expanding the breadth of services for our customers, partners, clients, health plans and communities. Together, we will create an expanded portfolio of health services, delivering greater consumer choice, closer alignment between the customer and health care provider, and more personalized value. This combination will create significant benefits to society and differentiated shareholder value.”

These are the terms of the agreement as laid out by Cigna:

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the transaction consideration will consist of $48.75 in cash and 0.2434 shares of stock of the combined company per Express Scripts share, or $54 billion in the aggregate. Upon closing of the transaction, Cigna shareholders will own approximately 64% of the combined company and Express Scripts shareholders will own approximately 36%. The consideration represents an approximately 31% premium to Express Scripts’ closing price of $73.42 on March 7, 2018.

Upon closing, the combined company will be led by David M. Cordani as President and CEO. Tim Wentworth will assume the role of President, Express Scripts. The combined company’s board will be expanded to 13 directors, including four independent members of the Express Scripts board.

The combined company will be named Cigna. Cigna’s headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut, will become the headquarters for the combined company, and Express Scripts will be headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. At closing, the combined company will make an incremental investment of $200 million in its charitable foundation, to support the communities in which it operates, and with the continued focus on improving societal health.