Centene (NYSE:CNC) Stock Rating Upgraded by Argus

Centene (NYSE:CNC) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

CNC has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Centene from $38.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Centene from $28.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $43.00 price target on Centene and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Centene from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.25.

Centene Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNC opened at $39.61 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $42.04 and a 200-day moving average of $36.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.10. Centene has a twelve month low of $25.08 and a twelve month high of $66.03. The firm has a market cap of $19.47 billion, a PE ratio of -2.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.48.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.22) by $0.03. Centene had a negative net margin of 3.43% and a positive return on equity of 4.25%. The firm had revenue of $49.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.80 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Centene will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Centene

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WPG Advisers LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 282 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Centene by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,975 shares of the company’s stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Burney Co. raised its holdings in Centene by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Burney Co. now owns 9,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Centene by 11.6% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sapient Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Centene by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Sapient Capital LLC now owns 9,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $389,000 after buying an additional 359 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

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.