Centene (NYSE:CNC) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $1.43 EPS

Centene (NYSE:CNC) announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $1.43, FiscalAI reports. Centene had a positive return on equity of 5.57% and a negative net margin of 3.25%.The business had revenue of $53.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.64 billion.

Centene Price Performance

Centene stock opened at $63.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $31.57 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Centene has a 12-month low of $25.08 and a 12-month high of $69.36.

Key Stories Impacting Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Centene reported second-quarter revenue of $53.58 billion, well above the $47.64 billion analyst consensus. Adjusted diluted EPS was $2.51, compared with expectations of $1.08, while GAAP diluted EPS was $2.19. Centene Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised 2026 guidance to adjusted EPS above $4.80, versus the approximately $3.49 consensus estimate, and projected revenue of $193.5 billion to $197.5 billion, ahead of the $190.5 billion consensus. GAAP EPS guidance was raised to above $3.11. Centene Raises 2026 Outlook on Profit, Revenue Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Operating trends improved meaningfully: the health benefits ratio declined to 89.6% from 93.0% a year earlier, while commercial HBR fell to 79.2%. Management also cited stronger performance in Medicare Advantage and prescription-drug plans, supporting the improved outlook. Centene Reports $53.6 Billion in Second Quarter Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Centene generated $3.6 billion in operating cash flow during the quarter, adding support for balance-sheet flexibility and ongoing operations.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Centene by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 31,798,738 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,308,518,000 after purchasing an additional 17,143,904 shares during the last quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Centene by 184.0% in the 3rd quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. now owns 9,046,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $322,761,000 after buying an additional 5,860,630 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Centene by 52.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,171,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,111,000 after buying an additional 2,472,341 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its stake in Centene by 535.6% during the 4th quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 2,750,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $113,176,000 after acquiring an additional 2,317,618 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Centene in the third quarter valued at $47,751,000. 93.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Centene from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 target price on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $53.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $63.00 price target on Centene and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.61.

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.