Bernstein analyst Lance Wilkes initiated Cigna (CI) with a Market Perform rating and $195 price target following Cigna's announcement that it will buy Express Scripts (ESRX) for $67B. Wilkes views the deal as a bet that change comes more slowly to healthcare, and that financial returns from this deal will fund future strategic acquisitions for Cigna. In a research note to investors, Wilkes said he believes disruption is coming more quickly, in PBM and pharmacy and in the shift to value, and is "skeptical" of this move by Cigna. The analyst expects earnings growth to slow for Cigna driven by its employer focus, lack of scale and already best in class margins, and added that he has a "negative" outlook for Express Scripts, expecting declining gross margins as they lose Anthem (ANTM) and client pricing pressure as focus increases on drug costs.