Centene Corporation $CNC Stock: North Dakota State Investment Board Raises Stake

North Dakota State Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 92.1% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 44,218 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,203 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board’s holdings in Centene were worth $2,747,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC raised its stake in Centene by 3.7% in the third quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $281,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Journey Retirement Planning & Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Centene by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Journey Retirement Planning & Investment Management LLC now owns 4,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,683 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 11,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $702,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Centene by 25.9% during the 3rd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 1,122 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Centene raised its 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to more than $5.20 per share after third-quarter results exceeded expectations. The Medicare business is expected to reach breakeven ahead of schedule, supporting confidence in the company’s turnaround. Centene forecasts 2026 adjusted EPS greater than $5.20 as Medicare turnaround reaches breakeven a year early
• Positive Sentiment: Centene reported third-quarter earnings of $0.58 per share, well above the $0.10 analyst consensus, while revenue of $50.65 billion also surpassed estimates. The earnings beat and raised sales and earnings guidance have prompted investors to reassess the stock’s value. Centene earnings beat raises the question of whether the stock is fully valued
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts increased their price targets following the results. JPMorgan raised its target to $75 from $67, UBS to $78 from $70, Barclays to $82 from $80 with an overweight rating, Cantor Fitzgerald to $79 from $75 with an overweight rating, and Baird to $71 from $66. The upgrades signal improving expectations, although JPMorgan, UBS and Baird retain neutral ratings. Centene analysts boost their forecasts following upbeat Q3 earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and valuation commentary describe Centene as a potential long-term value or momentum stock, but also question whether the recent earnings improvement is already reflected in the share price. Why Centene is a top value stock for the long term
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid enrollment declines, health-benefits-ratio uncertainty and ongoing margin risks could limit the benefit of the Medicare recovery. Heavy put-option buying also indicates that some traders are positioning for downside or increased volatility. Centene Q3 earnings call highlights faster recovery and Medicaid risks

Insider Transactions at Centene

In other Centene news, General Counsel Christopher Koster sold 56,500 shares of Centene stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.90, for a total value of $3,779,850.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 248,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,648,332.60. The trade was a 18.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Centene Price Performance

Shares of Centene stock opened at $68.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.16. Centene Corporation has a 52-week low of $31.63 and a 52-week high of $72.50. The company has a fifty day moving average of $66.01 and a 200-day moving average of $55.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.13.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $50.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $47.12 billion. Centene had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 12.15%. The firm’s revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.50 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Centene Corporation will post 5.22 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Argus raised shares of Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings raised Centene from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Centene in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Zacks Research lowered Centene from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Centene and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $73.30.

Centene Company Profile

Centene Corporation is a diversified healthcare enterprise that provides government-sponsored and commercial health insurance programs and related healthcare services. The company’s offerings are primarily focused on Medicaid, Medicare, and health insurance marketplace plans, with an emphasis on serving individuals and families who may have limited access to traditional healthcare coverage.

Centene operates Medicaid health plans through state-based contracts and offers Medicare Advantage, Medicare prescription drug, and Medicare Supplement products through its Wellcare brand.