Cigna Group (CI) is continuing merger talks with Humana (HUM) after such discussions fell apart last year, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

The health insurance companies have held informal discussions recently regarding a potential deal, the report said.

Cigna is still looking to complete the sale of its Medicare Advantage business in the coming weeks before committing to a new transaction, Bloomberg said. Disposing the business could help lessen scrutiny from antitrust regulators by removing certain overlaps with Humana.

Talks are still in the early stages and there is no guarantee of a deal, the report said.

Cigna and Humana did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

Shares of Cigna fell over 3% in recent Monday premarket activity, while Humana's stock went up 4.4%.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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