Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have assigned a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $68.5789.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on CNC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Centene from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $61.00 price objective (up from $55.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Mizuho set a $63.00 target price on shares of Centene and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in Centene during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Centene in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Centene by 118.4% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 749 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 406 shares during the period. Bayban acquired a new position in shares of Centene during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Centene in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene Stock Performance

NYSE:CNC opened at $67.00 on Thursday. 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 fifty day moving average of $64.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $50.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.10 billion, a PE ratio of -6.42, a P/E/G 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 earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $1.42. The business had revenue of $53.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.64 billion. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.51% and a positive return on equity of 12.12%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.16) earnings per share. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Centene will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Centene Company Profile

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.