Truist Financial Increases Centene (NYSE:CNC) Price Target to $47.00

Centene (NYSE:CNC) had its target price boosted by Truist Financial from $45.00 to $47.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Truist Financial’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 2.93% from the stock’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. UBS Group set a $42.00 target price on Centene and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Centene from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Centene from $25.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of Centene from $38.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Centene from $41.00 to $35.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.44.

Centene Trading Up 2.2%

CNC stock opened at $45.66 on Monday. Centene has a 52 week low of $25.08 and a 52 week high of $66.81. The company has a market capitalization of $22.44 billion, a PE ratio of -4.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.48. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.08.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.21) by $0.71. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.85% and a positive return on equity of 7.82%. The firm had revenue of $49.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.50 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.62 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Centene will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Addison Advisors LLC grew its stake in Centene by 455.6% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 739 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 606 shares in the last quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centene in the third quarter valued at $27,000. WPG Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Centene by 44.5% during the 3rd quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the period. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Centene by 11,011.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in Centene by 152.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: Barclays upgraded Centene to overweight (from equal weight), citing managed‑care exposure that could benefit from an AI/sector rotation — a vote of confidence that can attract fund flows. Centene, Oscar upgraded at Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $47 and kept a “buy” rating, signaling modest upside from current levels and reinforcing the bullish analyst tone. Truist adjusts price target on Centene to $47 TickerReport story
• Positive Sentiment: Short‑term buying interest/coverage pieces point to the stock rallying ~5–16% across recent timeframes, which can fuel momentum trading and short‑covering. Why Centene Corporation’s (CNC) Stock Is Up 5.77%
• Neutral Sentiment: Market narrative is mixed: coverage notes the stock’s ~16.3% three‑month gain but questions whether that’s a sustainable comeback given persisting cost and margin issues. Helpful context for momentum traders, but not a clear directional signal. Centene Jumps 16.3% in 3 Months
• Neutral Sentiment: Headline analysis highlights margin hopes vs. Medicaid exposure — a reminder that upside depends on medical cost trends and policy/regulatory risk rather than just sentiment. Looking At The Narrative For Centene
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings risk ahead: previews note analysts expect a large, possibly triple‑digit, year‑over‑year decline in Q4 EPS — a catalyst that could trigger downside if results or guidance disappoint. Centene Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance concerns: coverage and investor letters note Centene retracted its 2025 guidance previously — an explicit warning about execution and cost control that can weigh on sentiment and valuation multiple. Centene Fell in Q3 As It Retracted Its 2025 Guidance

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.