Centene Corporation $CNC Shares Sold by First Trust Advisors LP

First Trust Advisors LP cut its holdings in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 72.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 234,182 shares of the company’s stock after selling 631,530 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Centene were worth $7,667,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centene in the fourth quarter valued at $2,566,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC grew its stake in Centene by 114.1% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 45,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,885,000 after purchasing an additional 24,411 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in Centene by 426.8% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 2,318,075 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,389,000 after purchasing an additional 1,878,064 shares in the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its holdings in Centene by 162.6% during the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,720,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,223 shares during the period. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in Centene by 599.0% in the 4th quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 52,816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,173,000 after purchasing an additional 45,260 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and raised outlook: Centene reported adjusted earnings of $2.51 per share, well above the $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The insurer also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to at least $4.80 per share, citing contained medical costs. Centene Lifts 2026 Outlook as Insurer Contains Medical Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has strengthened: Zacks Research upgraded CNC from “hold” to “strong buy,” while Truist maintained its buy rating. Robert W. Baird also expects the stock to rise, providing additional support for the recent rally. Zacks.com Truist Financial Keeps Their Buy Rating on Centene
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and valuation remain favorable: Zacks included Centene among its Rank #1 momentum stocks, and other analyses describe CNC as potentially undervalued following its earnings recovery. These reports may attract momentum and value-oriented investors. Best Momentum Stock to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative investment appeal: A comparison with UnitedHealth favors UNH because of its diversified platform, Optum growth and artificial-intelligence investments. The assessment does not identify a new negative development at Centene but could limit CNC’s appeal among managed-care investors. UnitedHealth vs. Centene
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid and membership concerns persist: Coverage highlights declining membership and ongoing Medicaid-related pressure, which could challenge revenue growth and margins even as medical-cost trends improve. Medicaid Weighs on Centene

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CNC shares. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 price objective on Centene in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Centene from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Centene from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $67.00.

Centene Stock Performance

Shares of Centene stock opened at $62.23 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Centene Corporation has a 52 week low of $25.08 and a 52 week high of $69.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $63.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.07.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $1.42. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.51% and a positive return on equity of 12.12%. The business had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.16) EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. Research analysts forecast that Centene Corporation will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.