CNC Stock Analysis: Centene | NYSE
Healthcare Plans | NYSE, USA | Market Cap: 33.903m USD | 12M Return: 104.2% | US15135B1017 | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 266M
EPS Trend: -69.5%
Qual. Beats: 2
Rev. Trend: 97.5%
Qual. Beats: -1
Warnings
Tailwinds
Seasonality 11.7 years of data
How good or bad each month usually is (without trend). The score below shows how much you can trust it: 0 = pure chance, >40 gets interesting and >55 is strong.
Centene Corporation is a U.S. managed care company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1984. It provides health programs and services primarily to under-insured and uninsured families, as well as commercial organizations, operating through four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The Medicaid segment is the largest and focuses on government-sponsored programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid expansion, aged/blind/disabled coverage, CHIP, long-term services and supports, foster care, and Medicare-Medicaid dual-eligible plans. The Medicare segment offers special needs plans, Medicare supplement, and prescription drug plans, while the Commercial segment sells marketplace and group health insurance products. The Other segment includes clinical healthcare, pharmacies, vision and dental, behavioral health, and centralized services, delivered through networks of primary and specialty physicians, hospitals, behavioral health practitioners, and ancillary providers.
As a large-cap managed health care company listed on the NYSE, Centene operates in a sector where insurers contract with state and federal governments to administer benefits for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, typically receiving fixed per-member monthly payments. The companys business model is heavily weighted toward government-sponsored programs, which distinguishes it from peers with broader employer-based commercial exposure and exposes it to policy and reimbursement decisions at the state and federal level.
- Medicaid redeterminations pressure membership and medical cost ratios
- Medicare Star ratings declines threaten 2025 reimbursement growth
- ACA Marketplace subsidy uncertainty clouds 2025 enrollment outlook
| Net Income: -5.10b TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: 0.11 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA 9.55 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: 3.06% < 20% (prev 2.02%; Δ 1.04% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.12 > 3% & CFO 9.77b > Net Income -5.10b |
| Net Debt/EBITDA: error (EBITDA <= 0) |
| Current Ratio: 1.15 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (497.6m) vs 12m ago 0.83% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 16.13% > 18% (prev 8.93%; Δ 7.20% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 228.7% > 50% (prev 206.3%; Δ 22.47% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: -6.07 > 6 (EBIT TTM -3.98b / Interest Expense TTM 655.0m) |
| A: 0.07 (Total Current Assets 46.7b - Total Current Liabilities 40.8b) / Total Assets 83.0b |
| B: 0.14 (Retained Earnings 11.3b / Total Assets 83.0b) |
| C: -0.05 (EBIT TTM -3.98b / Avg Total Assets 84.7b) |
| D: 0.37 (Book Value of Equity 22.6b / Total Liabilities 60.4b) |
| Altman-Z'' = 0.99 = BB |
| DSRI: 0.77 (Receivables 18.1b/21.6b, Revenue 194b/178b) |
| GMI: 0.55 (GM 8.93% / 16.13%) |
| AQI: 0.81 (AQ_t 0.41 / AQ_t-1 0.51) |
| SGI: 1.09 (Revenue 194b / 178b) |
| TATA: -0.18 (NI -5.10b - CFO 9.77b) / TA 83.0b) |
| Beneish M = -3.69 (Cap -4..+1) = AAA |
As of October 24, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 70.17 with a total of 4,314,027 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by +1.46%, over one month by +13.03%, over three months by +10.09% and over the past year by +104.22%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 66.60 (which is 5.1% or 1.6 ATR below the current price).
Centene has received a consensus analysts rating of 3.62. Therefore, it is recommended to hold CNC.
- StrongBuy: 7
- Buy: 1
- Hold: 12
- Sell: 0
- StrongSell: 1
| Analysts Target Price | 71.8 | 2.3% |
P/E Forward = 11.2233
P/S = 0.188
P/B = 1.3592
P/EG = 0.7484
Revenue TTM = 194b USD
EBIT TTM = -3.98b USD
EBITDA TTM = -2.73b USD
Long Term Debt = 16.0b USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 75.0m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 16.9b USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 761.0m
Net Debt = -10.2b USD (calculated: Debt 16.9b - CCE 27.1b)
Enterprise Value = 23.7b USD (33.9b + Debt 16.9b - CCE 27.1b)
Interest Coverage Ratio = -6.07 (Ebit TTM -3.98b / Interest Expense TTM 655.0m)
EV/FCF = 2.64x (Enterprise Value 23.7b / FCF TTM 8.97b)
FCF Yield = 37.82% (FCF TTM 8.97b / Enterprise Value 23.7b)
FCF Margin = 4.63% (FCF TTM 8.97b / Revenue TTM 194b)
Net Margin = -2.63% (Net Income TTM -5.10b / Revenue TTM 194b)
Gross Margin = 16.13% ((Revenue TTM 194b - Cost of Revenue TTM 162b) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 10.40% (prev 21.90%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 0.29 (Enterprise Value 23.7b / Total Assets 83.0b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 3.88% (Interest Expense 655.0m / Debt 16.9b)
Taxrate = 26.85% (399.0m / 1.49b)
NOPAT = -2.91b (EBIT -3.98b * (1 - 26.85%)) [loss with tax shield]
Current Ratio = 1.15 (Total Current Assets 46.7b / Total Current Liabilities 40.8b)
Debt / Equity = 0.75 (Debt 16.9b / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 22.6b)
Debt / EBITDA = 3.73 (negative EBITDA) (Net Debt -10.2b / EBITDA -2.73b)
Debt / FCF = -1.14 (Net Debt -10.2b / FCF TTM 8.97b)
Total Stockholder Equity = 21.2b (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = -6.02% (Net Income -5.10b / Total Assets 83.0b)
RoE = -24.03% (Net Income TTM -5.10b / Total Stockholder Equity 21.2b)
RoCE = -10.68% (EBIT -3.98b / Capital Employed (Equity 21.2b + L.T.Debt 16.0b))
RoIC = -8.91% (negative operating profit) (NOPAT -2.91b / Invested Capital 32.6b)
WACC = 4.72% (E(33.9b)/V(50.8b) * Re(5.66%) + D(16.9b)/V(50.8b) * Rd(3.88%) * (1-Tc(0.27)))
Discount Rate = 5.66% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -84.17 | Cagr: -3.41%
[DCF] Terminal Value 77.97% ; FCFF base≈5.81b ; Y1≈6.66b ; Y5≈9.81b
[DCF] Fair Price = 319.4 (EV 148b - Net Debt -10.2b = Equity 158b / Shares 494.0m; r=8.35% [WACC [floored]]; 5y FCF grow 15.0% → 2.50% )
EPS Correlation: -69.52 | EPS CAGR: -28.62% | SUE: 3.46 | # QB: 2
Revenue Correlation: 97.53 | Revenue CAGR: 11.52% | SUE: -2.79 | # QB: -1
EPS current Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=0.10 | Chg30d=-0.51% | Revisions=-25% | Analysts=19
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=4.88 | Chg30d=-0.04% | Revisions=+0% | GrowthEPS=+134.8% | GrowthRev=+0.6%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=5.35 | Chg30d=+0.66% | Revisions=+0% | GrowthEPS=+9.5% | GrowthRev=-1.6%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: -17% (up=1, down=2)