Centene (NYSE:CNC) Price Target Raised to $66.00

Centene (NYSE:CNC) had its price objective lifted by Robert W. Baird from $46.00 to $66.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

CNC has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Mizuho set a $63.00 price objective on Centene and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $53.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Centene from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $61.00 target price (up from $55.00) on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $67.00.

Centene Price Performance

Centene stock opened at $62.23 on Wednesday. Centene has a 52 week low of $25.08 and a 52 week high of $69.36. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $63.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $50.27. The stock has a market cap of $30.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last released 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 company had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.64 billion. Centene had a positive return on equity of 12.12% and a negative net margin of 2.51%.Centene’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.16) earnings per share. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Centene will post 4.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Centene during the first quarter worth about $236,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Centene by 80.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $527,000 after purchasing an additional 4,315 shares during the period. CW Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Centene by 20.3% during the 2nd quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 4,863 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 820 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Centene by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 44,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,440,000 after buying an additional 2,582 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in Centene by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 231,938 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,590,000 after buying an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and raised outlook: Centene reported adjusted earnings of $2.51 per share, well above the $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The insurer also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to at least $4.80 per share, citing contained medical costs. Centene Lifts 2026 Outlook as Insurer Contains Medical Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has strengthened: Zacks Research upgraded CNC from “hold” to “strong buy,” while Truist maintained its buy rating. Robert W. Baird also expects the stock to rise, providing additional support for the recent rally. Zacks.com Truist Financial Keeps Their Buy Rating on Centene
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and valuation remain favorable: Zacks included Centene among its Rank #1 momentum stocks, and other analyses describe CNC as potentially undervalued following its earnings recovery. These reports may attract momentum and value-oriented investors. Best Momentum Stock to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative investment appeal: A comparison with UnitedHealth favors UNH because of its diversified platform, Optum growth and artificial-intelligence investments. The assessment does not identify a new negative development at Centene but could limit CNC’s appeal among managed-care investors. UnitedHealth vs. Centene
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid and membership concerns persist: Coverage highlights declining membership and ongoing Medicaid-related pressure, which could challenge revenue growth and margins even as medical-cost trends improve. Medicaid Weighs on Centene

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.