Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $68.5789.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $61.00 price target (up from $55.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $79.00 price objective on Centene in a research note on Monday.

Centene Stock Up 4.6%

Centene stock opened at $67.00 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $64.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $50.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company has a market cap of $33.10 billion, a PE ratio of -6.42, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.08. Centene has a fifty-two week low of $25.08 and a fifty-two week high of $69.36.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CNC. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in Centene by 114.1% in the fourth quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 45,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,885,000 after buying an additional 24,411 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $95,389,000 after acquiring an additional 1,878,064 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its stake in shares of Centene by 162.6% in the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,720,422 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,223 shares in the last quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Centene by 599.0% in the 4th quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 52,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,173,000 after purchasing an additional 45,260 shares during the period. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in Centene during the fourth quarter worth approximately $740,000. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings beat and improved outlook: Centene reported adjusted second-quarter EPS of $2.51, well above the $1.09 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $53.58 billion versus expectations of $47.64 billion. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to more than $4.80 from more than $3.40 and increased its full-year revenue guidance. Centene Corp. Surged on Earnings Beat and Improved Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Improving medical-cost trends support margins: Centene’s health benefits ratio improved to 89.6% from 93.0% a year earlier, helped by better Marketplace pricing, higher rates and continued Medicaid cost management. Investors appear to view the results as evidence of a potential major margin recovery. Could Centene Be Entering a Major Margin Recovery?
• Positive Sentiment: Potential government-program growth: Centene highlighted a July Illinois Medicaid contract award for its Meridian Health Plan unit, which could support future government-program revenue and reinforce sentiment around the company’s growth prospects.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed: JPMorgan raised its price target from $60 to $67 but maintained a neutral rating. Recent targets range from $57 to $75, while the six-month median target is $62, indicating that some analysts see limited near-term upside after the stock’s strong run. Wall Street Analyst Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Texas flood-relief contribution: Superior HealthPlan and the Centene Foundation committed $350,000 to five organizations assisting Texas flood victims. The announcement supports Centene’s community reputation but is unlikely to materially affect earnings. Centene Texas Flood Relief Investment
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is a minor caution: An insider sold 80,000 Centene shares during the past six months. Although the transaction may be unrelated to business fundamentals, it provides a modest counterpoint to the otherwise positive earnings-driven sentiment.

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.