Centene (NYSE:CNC) Stock Gets Price Target Increase from Wells Fargo & Company

Centene (NYSE:CNC) had its price objective boosted by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $69.00 to $75.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 11.88% from the company’s previous close.

CNC has been the subject of several other reports. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on Centene and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Argus raised Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $79.00 price target (up from $68.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Centene from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $79.00 target price on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.60.

Centene Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of CNC traded down $1.58 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $67.04. 1,416,459 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,608,144. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $55.15. Centene has a 12-month low of $31.63 and a 12-month high of $72.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $33.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.13.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $50.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.12 billion. Centene had a return on equity of 12.15% and a net margin of 0.72%. The company’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.50 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Centene will post 5.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Christopher Koster sold 56,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.90, for a total transaction of $3,779,850.00. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 248,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,648,332.60. The trade was a 18.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Centene

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Silicon Valley Capital Partners bought a new stake in Centene in the second quarter worth about $25,000. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH acquired a new stake in Centene in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp bought a new position in shares of Centene during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in shares of Centene in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Centene in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Centene beat third-quarter earnings expectations and raised its 2026 outlook. Management highlighted faster Medicare recovery, providing evidence that profitability may improve. Centene Q3 Earnings Lift Guidance As Membership Pressures Linger
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have continued lifting their price targets: JPMorgan raised its target to $75, UBS to $78, while Cantor Fitzgerald, Barclays and Robert W. Baird also expressed constructive views. These revisions suggest analysts see additional long-term upside following the earnings update. Baird Analyst View
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary has characterized Centene as a potential value and momentum opportunity, supported by improved earnings expectations and the company’s recovery prospects. Why Centene Is a Top Value Stock for the Long Term

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.