Centene (NYSE:CNC) Price Target Raised to $56.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Centene (NYSE:CNC) had its target price raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $44.00 to $56.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

CNC has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Centene from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Centene from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Argus raised Centene to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Centene from $45.00 to $41.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Centene from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Centene has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $52.12.

Centene Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of CNC traded down $0.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $53.37. 5,887,527 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,396,689. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.45. Centene has a 52 week low of $25.08 and a 52 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.12.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Centene in the 1st quarter valued at $236,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Centene by 80.0% in the second 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 in the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Centene by 20.3% during the second 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 last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Centene by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 44,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,440,000 after acquiring an additional 2,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its position in Centene by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 231,938 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,590,000 after acquiring an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene News Roundup

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.