Centene (NYSE:CNC) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Centene (NYSE:CNC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Centene from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Raymond James Financial set a $60.00 target price on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America upgraded shares of Centene from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $34.00 to $60.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Centene currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $52.12.

Centene Price Performance

Shares of CNC opened at $53.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.12. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $38.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.47. Centene has a fifty-two week low of $25.08 and a fifty-two week high of $64.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.36 billion, a PE ratio of -4.06, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.06.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $3.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $1.14. The company had revenue of $49.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.53 billion. Centene had a negative net margin of 3.25% and a positive return on equity of 5.57%. Centene’s revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.90 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Centene will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Centene

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Centene in the first quarter valued at $236,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Centene by 80.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $527,000 after buying an additional 4,315 shares during the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Centene by 20.3% in the 2nd quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 4,863 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 820 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Centene by 6.1% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 44,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,440,000 after buying an additional 2,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its holdings in Centene by 0.4% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 231,938 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,590,000 after acquiring an additional 967 shares during the period. 93.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: Centene reported stronger-than-expected EPS and raised its outlook, which supports margin improvement narratives that helped multiple brokers upgrade or re-assess the name. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street bullish notes: Truist reiterated a Buy rating and Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded the stock, signaling investor confidence from some major brokers. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term recovery thesis boosted: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights promising 2027 turnaround prospects and potential momentum reversal—supportive for investors focused on multi‑year recovery. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $56 while keeping an Equal Weight view, indicating some upside in the broker community even as conviction is measured. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker PTs raised but ratings cautious: Deutsche Bank, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley all lifted targets (to $53, $50 and $50 respectively) but maintained Hold/Neutral/Equal Weight stances — a modest vote of confidence that stops short of strong endorsement. Read More. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ opinions remain mixed overall — coverage notes a blend of upgrades and cautious takes, keeping sentiment balanced rather than uniformly positive. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Lower consensus price target: A brokerage consensus report shows a $42 average target — well below current levels — which could cap upside if that view gains traction. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution concerns flagged: A Seeking Alpha commentary warns that further upside will require better operational execution, a caution investors may lean on after recent volatility. Read More.

About Centene

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.