Centene (NYSE:CNC) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Centene (NYSE:CNC) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.800- for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 3.490. The company issued revenue guidance of $193.5 billion-$197.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $190.5 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “sell” rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Centene from $58.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Centene from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 target price on shares of Centene in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Centene in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $64.61.

Centene Trading Up 0.8%

Centene stock opened at $63.94 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current 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. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.85. The stock has a market cap of $31.57 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.87, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.07.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $1.43. Centene had a positive return on equity of 5.57% and a negative net margin of 3.25%.The firm had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $47.64 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Centene will post 3.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Centene News

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 Trading of Centene

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in Centene during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in Centene during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Centene in the fourth quarter valued at about $49,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of Centene in the second quarter worth about $79,000. Finally, Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new stake in Centene during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 93.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.