Centene (NYSE:CNC) Price Target Raised to $53.00

Centene (NYSE:CNC) had its price target upped by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $39.00 to $53.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. They currently have a hold rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America upgraded Centene from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $34.00 to $60.00 in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group boosted their target price on Centene from $42.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Centene from $45.00 to $41.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Centene from $41.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Centene from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Centene currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $52.12.

Centene Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of Centene stock opened at $53.37 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $26.36 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.06. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.45. Centene has a 1-year low of $25.08 and a 1-year high of $64.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Centene by 8.0% during the first quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 6,557 shares of the company’s stock worth $223,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Centene by 47.6% during the first quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $439,000 after purchasing an additional 4,329 shares in the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Centene by 3.1% during the first quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,683 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its position in shares of Centene by 59.1% during the first quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 19,643 shares of the company’s stock worth $643,000 after acquiring an additional 7,297 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Centene by 126.8% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 197,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,476,000 after acquiring an additional 110,577 shares during the period. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Centene

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.