Centene (NYSE:CNC) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Centene (NYSE:CNC) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.000-3.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.950. The company issued revenue guidance of $186.5 billion-$190.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $192.0 billion.

Centene Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNC traded down $1.46 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $38.46. The stock had a trading volume of 16,101,426 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,123,998. Centene has a 1 year low of $25.08 and a 1 year high of $66.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $42.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.81. The company has a market capitalization of $18.90 billion, a PE ratio of -3.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.48.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.22) by $0.03. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.85% and a positive return on equity of 7.82%. The firm had revenue of $49.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Centene will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on CNC. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Centene from $28.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Centene in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Centene from $25.00 to $32.00 in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, UBS Group set a $42.00 price target on Centene and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Centene presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.81.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on key metrics: Centene posted an adjusted loss per share of ($1.19), slightly better than estimates, and revenue of $49.73B (+21.9% YoY) that topped forecasts — evidence of strong PDP and Marketplace premium growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company set FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $3.00 (above consensus ~$2.95) and said it expects profit above Wall Street estimates, signaling management sees stabilizing medical costs. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts/markets are turning constructive after the pullback; Seeking Alpha highlighted an upgrade/positive view arguing the company is “on the mend.” Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and the call transcript are available for deeper diligence (management commentary on membership mix, out‑of‑period items, and HBR trends). Review the transcript/slide deck for details. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate/branding activity: Health Net (a Centene plan) ran Super Bowl‑week community outreach events — reputational/market presence item, unlikely to move fundamentals near term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and membership headwinds: Centene reported a >$1B GAAP loss as medical costs rose, Medicaid membership declined, and management gave a mixed sales/outlook picture — revenue guidance came in below consensus, raising concerns about near‑term margins and enrollment stabilization. These issues are the main reasons the stock traded lower on the print. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major press coverage emphasized the swing to loss despite higher revenue and ongoing cost pressure, underscoring that profit recovery is still a work in progress. Read More.

Institutional Trading of Centene

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of Centene in the 2nd quarter worth about $79,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Centene by 29.8% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,897 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 435 shares during the period. BOKF NA acquired a new position in Centene during the third quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Centene by 65.5% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,796 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 1,107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in shares of Centene by 123.2% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 3,238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 1,787 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene Company Profile

Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) is a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise that specializes in providing services to government-sponsored and national health programs. The company primarily acts as a managed care organization, delivering healthcare coverage and administering benefits for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare Advantage, and individual marketplace plans. Centene also contracts with federal and state agencies to manage specialty care programs and community-based services for vulnerable populations.

Centene’s offerings extend beyond traditional insurance to include a range of specialty and support services.