Centene (CNC) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $23.06B
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 5.26M
• Price to Earnings (P/E): ―
• Beta (1Y): 0.15
• Revenue Growth: 14.92%
• EPS Growth: -286.72%
• Country: US
• Employees: 60,400
• Sector: Healthcare
• Sector Strength: 45
• Industry: Medical - Healthcare Plans
• EPS (TTM): 0.50
• Shares Outstanding: 491,518,000
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 4,415,836
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 5,257,443
• PEG Ratio: 0.35
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.20
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.19
• P/FCF Ratio: -64.51
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 0.78
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.10
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 0.90
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: -6.23
• 1Y Price Target: $43.07
• Price Target Upside: -8.21% Downside
• Rating Consensus: Hold
• Number of Analyst Covering: 15
• EPS Forecast (FY): N/A
• Revenue Forecast (FY): N/A

• Rating: 58 Neutral
• Price Target: $41.00 ▼(-12.62% Downside)

Centene's overall stock score reflects a mixed financial performance with significant profitability challenges. Technical analysis indicates short-term bullish momentum, but valuation concerns persist due to a negative P/E ratio. The earnings call provided some optimism with improved EPS guidance, yet highlighted ongoing operational pressures.

Positive Factors

Revenue Growth

Consistent revenue growth indicates a strong market position and ability to expand service offerings, supporting long-term business sustainability.

Cash Flow Improvements

Significant free cash flow growth enhances financial flexibility, allowing for reinvestment in business operations and strategic acquisitions.

SG&A Efficiency

Improved SG&A efficiency reflects disciplined cost management, which can lead to better profitability and operational performance over time.

Negative Factors

Profitability Challenges

Negative profitability indicates operational challenges that could affect long-term financial health and shareholder returns if not addressed.

Goodwill Impairment

Significant goodwill impairment suggests potential overvaluation of past acquisitions, impacting future earnings and balance sheet strength.

Medical Cost Pressures

Rising medical costs can erode margins and profitability, posing a risk to financial stability and necessitating strategic cost management.

Centene Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Centene Corporation operates as a multi-national healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured individuals in the United States. Its Managed Care segment offers health plan coverage to individuals through government subsidized programs, including Medicaid, the State children's health insurance program, long-term services and support, foster care, and medicare-medicaid plans, which cover dually eligible individuals, as well as aged, blind, or disabled programs. Its health plans include primary and specialty physician care, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, emergency and urgent care, prenatal care, laboratory and X-ray, home-based primary care, transportation assistance, vision care, dental care, telehealth, immunization, specialty pharmacy, therapy, social work, nurse advisory, and care coordination services, as well as prescriptions and limited over-the-counter drugs, medical equipment, and behavioral health and abuse services. This segment also offers various individual, small group, and large group commercial healthcare products to employers and directly to members. The company's Specialty Services segment provides pharmacy benefits management services; nurse advice line and after-hours support services; vision and dental services, as well as staffing services to correctional systems and other government agencies; and services to Military Health System eligible beneficiaries. This segment offers its services and products to state programs, correctional facilities, healthcare organizations, employer groups, and other commercial organizations. The company provides its services through primary and specialty care physicians, hospitals, and ancillary providers. Centene Corporation was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

How the Company Makes Money

Centene generates revenue primarily through its health insurance plans, where it receives government funding for providing healthcare services to members enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare programs. The company operates on a capitation model, where it is paid a fixed amount per member per month (PMPM) by state and federal government programs to cover the health services for its members. Key revenue streams include premium revenue from Medicaid and Medicare, and supplemental services such as pharmacy benefits management. Additionally, Centene has formed strategic partnerships and collaborations with other healthcare providers and organizations, enhancing its service offerings and expanding its market reach, which contributes significantly to its overall earnings.

Centene Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Centene's financial performance is mixed. Positive revenue growth is overshadowed by a negative net profit margin and operational challenges, as indicated by negative EBIT and EBITDA margins. The balance sheet shows moderate leverage, but the negative return on equity is concerning. Cash flow improvements are notable, yet operational cash flow remains a challenge.

Income Statement

Centene's income statement shows a mixed performance. The TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) data indicates a gross profit margin of 10.76%, which is relatively stable compared to previous years. However, the net profit margin has turned negative at -2.85%, indicating a significant decline in profitability. Revenue growth is positive at 4.30%, but the negative EBIT and EBITDA margins highlight operational challenges.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reflects moderate financial stability. The debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84 in the TTM period suggests manageable leverage, though it has increased from previous years. Return on equity has turned negative, indicating a loss for shareholders. The equity ratio remains stable, suggesting a balanced asset structure.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis shows improvement with a substantial free cash flow growth rate of 210.74% in the TTM period. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is low at 0.10, indicating potential cash flow challenges. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio is strong at 0.83, suggesting effective cash generation relative to net income.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	185.86B	163.07B	154.00B	144.55B	125.98B	111.11B
Gross Profit	20.01B	16.83B	17.32B	16.66B	14.20B	15.22B
EBITDA	-2.90B	6.20B	5.62B	4.06B	3.81B	4.76B
Net Income	-5.29B	3.31B	2.70B	1.20B	1.35B	1.81B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	82.09B	82.44B	84.64B	76.87B	78.38B	68.72B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	19.24B	16.68B	19.65B	14.39B	14.66B	12.38B
Total Debt	17.58B	19.43B	18.88B	21.33B	22.66B	18.32B
Total Liabilities	61.03B	55.94B	58.69B	52.63B	51.35B	42.76B
Stockholders Equity	20.95B	26.41B	25.84B	24.06B	26.80B	25.77B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	3.36B	-490.00M	7.25B	5.26B	3.29B	4.63B
Operating Cash Flow	4.06B	154.00M	8.05B	6.26B	4.21B	5.50B
Investing Cash Flow	-105.00M	-1.05B	-1.28B	-2.92B	-3.30B	-6.96B
Financing Cash Flow	-1.43B	-2.41B	-1.57B	-4.20B	1.36B	260.00M

Centene Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 46.92
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Negative
• STOCH: Negative

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CNC, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 46.92 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 41.23, above the 50-day MA of 38.65, and above the 200-day MA of 42.45, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.95 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 80.61 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 91.91 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CNC.

Centene Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
ELV	76 Outperform	$81.49B	15.33	12.61%	1.99%	11.96%	-11.11%
CI	72 Outperform	$75.84B	12.31	14.65%	2.21%	16.75%	113.48%
MOH	71 Outperform	$9.07B	11.37	19.71%	―	13.71%	-18.02%
HUM	69 Neutral	$33.38B	25.95	7.15%	1.38%	9.87%	-5.58%
CNC	58 Neutral	$23.06B	-4.34	-21.93%	―	14.92%	-286.72%
Sector *	51 Neutral	$7.86B	-0.30	-43.30%	2.27%	22.53%	-2.21%
OSCR	45 Neutral	$4.47B	-15.03	-22.32%	―	37.38%	-912.18%

Centene Corporate Events

Centene to Present at UBS 2025 Healthcare Conference

Centene Corporation announced its participation in the UBS 2025 Global Healthcare Conference on November 11, 2025, where it will discuss its financial outlook. The company maintains its forecast of a diluted loss per share not exceeding $(12.85) and an adjusted diluted EPS of at least $2.00 for the full year 2025. Centene emphasizes the use of non-GAAP financial measures to provide a clearer understanding of its core performance, excluding certain expenses and amortizations, to better assess its ongoing operations and performance consistency.

The most recent analyst rating on (CNC) stock is a Hold with a $44.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Centene stock, see the CNC Stock Forecast page.