Analysts Set Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) PT at $42.44

Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $42.0625.

CNC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Centene from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Centene from $28.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Centene from $32.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Centene from $43.00 to $37.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th.

Centene Price Performance

Shares of CNC stock opened at $35.91 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.64, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.48. Centene has a 12 month low of $25.08 and a 12 month high of $66.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $43.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.32.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.22) by $0.03. The company had revenue of $49.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.41 billion. Centene had a negative net margin of 3.43% and a positive return on equity of 4.25%. The company’s revenue was up 21.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.80 EPS. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. Research analysts expect that Centene will post 6.86 EPS for the current year.

Centene News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Superior HealthPlan (a Centene unit) named a Rio Grande Valley provider a Foster Care Center of Excellence — a local operating win that supports managed‑care positioning in Texas. Superior HealthPlan Names Cute Pediatrics as First Rio Grande Valley Provider to Earn Foster Care Distinction
• Positive Sentiment: Company update: Centene reaffirmed its 2026 outlook and redeemed certain debt notes — signaling liquidity/commitment to guidance despite near‑term headwinds. Centene Reaffirms 2026 Outlook and Redeems Debt Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presentation/transcript from Barclays conference is available — useful for detail on guidance and membership trends but did not offset market concern. Centene Corporation (CNC) Presents at Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: analysts note HMO names face cost pressure, nursing shortages and policy risk — structural headwinds that increase sensitivity to ACA enrollment swings. 4 HMO Stocks to Watch Despite Escalating Costs, Nursing Shortage
• Negative Sentiment: CEO warning of a steep ACA membership decline: management said individual-market enrollment may fall to ~3.5M from ~5.5M — a dramatic reduction that directly cuts revenue and hurts margins, and was cited as the primary catalyst for the selloff. Centene (CNC) Stock Plunges 14% as CEO Warns of Massive ACA Enrollment Decline
• Negative Sentiment: News and market reactions: multiple outlets report shares falling after executives flagged steeper ACA membership losses; Mizuho and other analysts lowered targets/expressed caution. Centene shares fall as health insurer sees steeper drop in Obamacare memberships
• Negative Sentiment: Broader coverage: stories framing the “slow death” of enhanced ACA subsidies and plunging enrollment directly link the policy shift to Centene’s weakness. Obamacare’s Slow Death Is Debilitating Centene Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Market signals: unusually high put‑option volume and elevated trading volume show short/bear positioning and higher conviction among downside traders, amplifying price moves.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Centene by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 52,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,165,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the period. WPG Advisers LLC grew its holdings in shares of Centene by 44.5% in the 3rd quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 282 shares during the period. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its position in shares of Centene by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 7,465 shares of the company’s stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Centene by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $450,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. Finally, Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Centene by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,975 shares of the company’s stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

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.