News of the blocked Aetna-Humana deal instilled confidence in investors regarding the Cigna-Anthem merger, according to Yahoo! Finance.
Here are four things to know:
1. Judge John Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against Aetna's proposed Humana deal on Jan. 23, 2017.
2. Anthem shares jumped 2.32 percent on Jan. 25, 2017. Cigna shares increased 1.39 percent that day.
3. On Jan. 19, 2017, an Anthem spokesperson said the payer is extending the deal's termination date to April 30, 2017. The payer had originally planned to close the deal during the first half of last year.
4. Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini and Humana CEO Bruce Broussard issued a joint statement this week saying the companies still think the combined entity would improve access and costs for consumers. An Aetna spokesperson said the company is weighing its options over appealing Judge Bates' ruling, according to The New York Times.