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Centene (CNC)
NYSE:CNC
Earnings Data
Report Date
Apr 28, 2026Before Open (Confirmed)
Period Ending
2026 (Q1)Consensus EPS Forecast
2.17Last Year’s EPS
2.9Same Quarter Last Year
Based on 13 Analysts Ratings
Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call acknowledged a difficult 2025 but highlighted tangible operational progress (Medicaid HBR improvement, Medicare strength, SG&A savings, deleveraging, and AI-driven initiatives) and set an optimistic 2026 financial target (adjusted EPS > $3, >40% YoY growth). Material near-term headwinds remain—marketplace membership/revenue pressure, NSA-related accruals, persistent behavioral health and high-cost drug trend, and Medicaid membership attrition—creating execution risk. On balance, management presented credible actions, improving trends, and a constructive outlook that suggests momentum toward margin recovery in 2026 and beyond.Company Guidance
2026 EPS Outlook
Company expects full year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS > $3, representing >40% year-over-year growth from 2025 adjusted diluted EPS of $2.08, signaling a planned meaningful margin recovery.
Medicaid Health Benefits Ratio Improvement
Medicaid Q4 health benefits ratio (HBR) improved to 93, a 40 basis point sequential improvement and ~190 basis points improvement versus Q2 2025, with management targeting Medicaid HBR stability in 2026 supported by assumed net rates in the mid-4% range (≈4.5%).
Medicare and PDP Strength
Medicare segment delivered strong 2025 results; Medicare PDP revenue and enrollment growth drove Medicare premium revenue guidance +$7.5 billion for 2026 and Part D enrollment tracking to high single-digit percentage growth; PDP pretax margin assumed ~2% in 2026 (down from high-threes in 2025) while MA is progressing toward breakeven by 2027.
Consolidated HBR and Cost Discipline
Company guides to a consolidated HBR of 90.9%–91.7% for 2026 (midpoint down ~60 basis points vs. 2025) and reported full year adjusted SG&A ratio of 7.4% (110 basis points improvement vs. 2024), demonstrating operating leverage and expense discipline.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity Actions
Ended year with ~$400 million cash available for general corporate use, reduced debt by $189 million in Q4, and finished with a debt-to-capital ratio of 46.5%, indicating active deleveraging and improved balance sheet positioning.
Operational & Data/AI Progress
Built data/AI capabilities to accelerate operations (e.g., faster prior authorization approvals, improved call center operations, advanced payment integrity analytics scoring claims against 75 algorithms) expected to drive future automation, efficiency, and medical economics improvements.
CNC Earnings History
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
Beat
Missed
CNC Earnings-Related Price Changes
Report Date | Price 1 Day Before | Price 1 Day After | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Feb 06, 2026 | $39.92 | $38.46 | -3.66% |
Oct 29, 2025 | $33.19 | $37.34 | +12.50% |
Jul 25, 2025 | $26.76 | $28.39 | +6.09% |
Apr 25, 2025 | $61.58 | $57.69 | -6.32% |
Earnings announcements can affect a stock’s price. This table shows the stock's price the day before and the day after recent earnings reports, including the percentage change.
FAQ
When does Centene (CNC) report earnings?
Centene (CNC) is schdueled to report earning on Apr 28, 2026, Before Open (Confirmed).
What is Centene (CNC) earnings time?
Centene (CNC) earnings time is at Apr 28, 2026, Before Open (Confirmed).
Where can I see when companies are reporting earnings?
You can see which companies are reporting today on our designated earnings calendar.
What companies are reporting earnings today?
You can see a list of the companies which are reporting today on TipRanks earnings calendar.
What is CNC EPS forecast?
CNC EPS forecast for the fiscal quarter 2026 (Q1) is 2.17.