TD Cowen Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Centene (NYSE:CNC) Stock

Centene (NYSE:CNC) had its price objective raised by TD Cowen from $34.00 to $38.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the stock. TD Cowen’s price objective indicates a potential downside of 2.97% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on CNC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Centene from $28.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Centene from $28.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Centene from $32.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.50.

Centene Price Performance

Centene stock opened at $39.17 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $42.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.88, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.10. Centene has a 52-week low of $25.08 and a 52-week high of $66.03.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Centene

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Centene by 1.5% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 58,396,605 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,169,768,000 after acquiring an additional 869,706 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Centene during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,435,997,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Centene by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,186,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,258,586,000 after purchasing an additional 514,600 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Centene by 76.6% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 14,654,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $522,885,000 after buying an additional 6,356,152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew 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 buying an additional 697,277 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: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $39, signaling some support for the stock from the Street. Deutsche Bank Boosts Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Value-oriented writeups (Zacks and MSN) highlight Centene as a long‑term value pick, which can attract buy‑and‑hold investors looking past near‑term volatility. Zacks Value Stock Article
• Positive Sentiment: Ambetter Health (a Centene brand) completed a new community playground with KABOOM! and the City of Hialeah — a reputation/ESG positive that supports member/community goodwill but is unlikely to move near‑term earnings. Ambetter Playground PR
• Positive Sentiment: Superior HealthPlan and the Centene Foundation expanded the “No One Eats Alone” program in Texas schools — another CSR item that supports brand and member engagement. NOEA Initiative PR
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $38 but maintained a “hold,” a modestly constructive move that still signals limited upside in the near term. TD Cowen PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Argus moved Centene to a “hold” and Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed “neutral” — multiple firms keeping conservative stances that limit buying pressure. Argus Hold / Zacks Reference
• Neutral Sentiment: Guggenheim issued a “hold” on Centene, reinforcing the Street’s broadly cautious stance. Guggenheim Hold
• Negative Sentiment: A detailed piece on Centene’s 2025 loss and the 2026 outlook raises concerns that recent losses and forward guidance could materially change investor expectations and valuation — this coverage likely pressures the stock. 2025 Loss / 2026 Outlook Article

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.