Centene (CNC)
NYSE:CNC
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CNC Stock Chart & Stats
$38.17
$0.57(0.91%)
At close: 4:00 PM EST
$38.17
$0.57(0.91%)
Day’s Range― - ―
52-Week Range$25.08 - $65.80
Previous CloseN/A
Volume1.00M
Average Volume (3M)6.44M
Market Cap
$32.11B
Enterprise Value$24.53B
Total Cash (Recent Filing)$23.74B
Total Debt (Recent Filing)$16.37B
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta0.40
Next Earnings
Jul 28, 2026EPS Estimate
1.08Next Dividend Ex-DateN/A
Dividend YieldN/A
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)-13.12
Shares Outstanding493,797,000
10 Day Avg. Volume4,499,267
30 Day Avg. Volume6,436,549
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio<0.01
Price to Book (P/B)1.01
Price to Sales (P/S)0.10
P/FCF Ratio4.68
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.76
Enterprise Value/Revenue0.12
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit0.83
Enterprise Value/Ebitda-4.80
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$59.69Price Target Upside56.37% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering17
EPS Forecast (FY)3.48
Revenue Forecast (FY)$191.12B
Bulls Say, Bears Say
Bulls Say
Large Diversified Government-plan ScaleCentene's large, diversified premium base across Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA Marketplace provides durable scale and negotiating leverage with providers and suppliers. That scale diversifies risk across programs and creates sticky, contract-based premium revenue that supports long-term cash flow stability.
Robust Operating And Free Cash Flow GenerationSustained, sizable operating and free cash flow provides Centene lasting financial flexibility to fund claims reserves, refinance maturities, repurchase debt, and invest in care-management programs. Positive cash conversion despite accounting losses signals durable liquidity optionality if cash trends persist.
Improving Medicaid Margins And SG&A DisciplineImproved Medicaid HBR and tighter SG&A demonstrate operational leverage and cost control that can sustainably support margins. Consistent margin program execution and lower administrative percentiles increase the likelihood that revenue growth translates into durable earnings improvement over multiple quarters.
Bears Say
Swing To Sizable Losses And Negative ReturnsThe recent transition from profitable years to meaningful losses and negative ROE weakens core earnings quality and erodes equity cushions. Persistent or recurring losses would reduce strategic flexibility, constrain competitive investments, and increase pressure on capital allocation and contracting ability.
Elevated Medical And Specialty Pharmacy TrendsSustained high medical and specialty pharmacy cost trends are structural margin headwinds for managed-care models. Even with utilization management, persistent escalation in drug and high-acuity services can compress underwriting margins and require higher premiums or continued margin-management investments to restore profitability.
Regulatory And Marketplace Data UncertaintyPending court rulings and uncertainty about program integrity measures create structural regulatory risk for Marketplace enrollment, risk-adjustment receivables and program administration. Adverse outcomes could materially alter expected offsets, membership counts, or reimbursement mechanics, complicating multi-quarter planning and payments.
Centene News
CNC FAQ
What was Centene’s price range in the past 12 months?
Centene lowest stock price was $25.07 and its highest was $65.80 in the past 12 months.
What is Centene’s market cap?
Centene’s market cap is $32.11B.
When is Centene’s upcoming earnings report date?
Centene’s upcoming earnings report date is Jul 28, 2026 which is in 48 days.
How were Centene’s earnings last quarter?
Centene released its earnings results on Apr 28, 2026. The company reported $3.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.228 by $1.142.
Is Centene overvalued?
According to Wall Street analysts Centene’s price is currently Undervalued.
Does Centene pay dividends?
Centene does not currently pay dividends.
What is Centene’s EPS estimate?
Centene’s EPS estimate is 1.08.
How many shares outstanding does Centene have?
Centene has 493,797,000 shares outstanding.
What happened to Centene’s price movement after its last earnings report?
Centene reported an EPS of $3.37 in its last earnings report, beating expectations of $2.228. Following the earnings report the stock price went up 13.954%.
Which hedge fund is a major shareholder of Centene?
Currently, no hedge funds are holding shares in CNC
What is the TipRanks Smart Score and how is it calculated?
Smart Score combines eight research factors - such as analyst recommendations, hedge fund trends, and technical indicators - to measure a stock’s outlook. These signals are unified into a single score that reflects bullish or bearish momentum. See detailed methodology
Centene Stock Smart Score
Outperform
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Analyst Consensus
Moderate Buy
Average Price Target:
$59.69 (56.37% Upside)
$59.69 (56.37% Upside)
Blogger Sentiment
Bullish
CNC Sentiment 80%
Sector Average ―
Sector Average ―
Hedge Fund Trend
Increased
By 145.6K Shares
Last Quarter.
Last Quarter.
Crowd Wisdom
Negative
Last 7 Days ▼ 0.2%
Last 30 Days ▼ 1.1%
Last 30 Days ▼ 1.1%
News Sentiment
Very Bullish
Bullish news 99%
Bearish news 0%
Bearish news 0%
Technicals
SMA
Positive
20 days / 200 days
Momentum
18.74%
12-Months-Change
Fundamentals
Return on Equity
-28.72%
Trailing 12-Months
Asset Growth
-6.74%
Trailing 12-Months
Company Description
Centene
Centene Corporation functions as a diverse, multinational healthcare organization, primarily dedicated to delivering a comprehensive range of programs and services to underinsured and uninsured individuals throughout the United States. Its Managed Care division provides extensive health plan coverage for people enrolled in various government-sponsored initiatives. These initiatives include Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), long-term services and support, foster care, and specialized Medicare-Medicaid plans that cater to individuals dually eligible for both programs, as well as aged, blind, or disabled populations. The broad spectrum of benefits within these health plans encompasses primary and specialty physician care, inpatient and outpatient hospital services, emergency and urgent care, prenatal support, laboratory and X-ray diagnostics, and home-based primary care. Complementary services feature transportation assistance, vision and dental care, telehealth access, immunizations, specialty pharmacy, therapy, social work, nurse advisory support, and care coordination. Additionally, members are covered for prescriptions, limited over-the-counter medications, medical equipment, and essential behavioral health and substance abuse services. This segment also extends its offerings to commercial healthcare products for individuals and employer groups of various sizes. Centene's Specialty Services segment delivers a distinct set of solutions, including pharmacy benefits management (PBM), 24/7 nurse advice lines and after-hours support, vision and dental services, and staffing provisions for correctional systems and other government agencies. This division also serves beneficiaries eligible for the Military Health System. Its clientele for these specialized services spans state programs, correctional institutions, healthcare organizations, employer groups, and other commercial entities. The company delivers its healthcare services through an expansive network comprising primary and specialty care physicians, hospitals, and various ancillary providers. Established in 1984, Centene Corporation is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
CNC Earnings Call
Q1 2026
0:00 / 0:00
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call conveyed strong first-quarter execution with an EPS beat, raised full-year EPS outlook, improved Medicaid margins, Medicare outperformance, disciplined SG&A and robust cash generation. These positives were balanced by ongoing elevated medical and specialty pharmacy trends, Marketplace utilization in the Silver tier (with guidance conservatively not reflecting the full potential risk adjustment offset), seasonality that weights earnings toward Q1 and the need to refine assumptions once June Wakely data arrives. Management emphasized operational progress (trend programs, payment integrity, leadership changes) and prudent conservatism in guidance.View all CNC earnings summariesCNC Revenue Breakdown
88.08% Premium
1.55% Service
10.37% Premium tax
CNC Stock 12 Month Forecast
Average Price Target
$59.69
▲(56.37% Upside)
Technical Analysis
Ownership Overview
0.78% Insiders
21.43% Mutual Funds
21.60% Other Institutional Investors
27.62% Public Companies and
Individual Investors