Centene (NYSE:CNC) Upgraded at Argus

Argus upgraded shares of Centene (NYSE:CNC) to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

CNC has been the topic of several other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Centene in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (up previously from $33.00) on shares of Centene in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $43.00 price objective on Centene and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Centene from $28.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Mizuho set a $47.00 price objective on Centene in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $41.50.

Centene Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of CNC opened at $40.43 on Monday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.18. Centene has a 1 year low of $25.08 and a 1 year high of $66.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.08.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.22) by $0.03. The company had revenue of $49.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.41 billion. Centene had a negative net margin of 3.43% and a positive return on equity of 4.25%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.80 earnings per share. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Centene will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Centene by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 58,396,605 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,169,768,000 after purchasing an additional 869,706 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Centene during the second quarter worth $1,435,997,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in Centene by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,186,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,258,586,000 after acquiring an additional 514,600 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Centene by 76.6% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 14,654,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $522,885,000 after purchasing an additional 6,356,152 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Centene by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,271,492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $554,338,000 after purchasing an additional 697,277 shares during the period. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks/MSN published pieces arguing Centene is a long‑term value stock, highlighting attractive valuation metrics and the company’s scale in government-sponsored health plans; this kind of favorable narrative can support investor demand. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Centene’s community outreach via Superior HealthPlan and The Centene Foundation (No One Eats Alone program in Texas schools) is positive for brand and ESG perception—helps long‑term reputation with payors and state partners. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $39 (from $32) and kept a Hold rating—an upward revision that signals modestly improved analyst expectations even if the rating stayed conservative. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen also raised its target to $38 (from $34) and maintained a Hold—another incremental upgrade to analyst targets that can support the stock after recent volatility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Argus moved Centene to a Hold—an analyst change that reduces downside concern but is not a clear buy signal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a Neutral rating, keeping consensus sentiment cautious given regulatory and margin pressures. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained its Hold on Centene, consistent with the mixed analyst tone—supportive of stability but not a catalyst for a large rerating. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Axios/other outlets report Centene is among insurers to receive subpoenas from a House panel—this introduces regulatory and legal risk that could pressure sentiment and create short‑term volatility. Read More.

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.