Centene (NYSE:CNC) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Centene (NYSE:CNC) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.000-3.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.950. The company issued revenue guidance of $186.5 billion-$190.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $192.0 billion.

Centene Price Performance

CNC stock traded down $1.46 during trading on Friday, hitting $38.46. 16,609,118 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,152,443. Centene has a 52 week low of $25.08 and a 52 week high of $66.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $42.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.89. 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 Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.22) by $0.03. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.85% and a positive return on equity of 7.82%. The business had revenue of $49.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.80 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Centene will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on CNC shares. Zacks Research upgraded Centene from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Centene from $28.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Centene from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Centene from $28.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Centene has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $40.81.

Centene News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Centene guided to adjusted EPS of $3.00 for FY‑2026, above consensus, and said profit should be above Wall Street expectations — a sign management expects cost stabilization. Centene sees 2026 profit above estimates signaling stabilizing costs (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue beat estimates ($49.73B vs. ~$48.4B) and revenue rose ~22% YoY, driven by PDP and Marketplace growth — top‑line strength that supports future scale. Centene Q4 results and press release (MarketBeat)
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts/upgrades are framing the pullback as a buying opportunity after the stock’s earlier drop, which could attract tactical interest if costs improve. Centene Is On The Mend After A Hefty Fall (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released its earnings call transcript and slide deck — useful for investors parsing management’s details on Medicaid remediation and cost actions. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Local PR items (Health Net community events) are positive for brand/marketing but unlikely to move the stock materially. Health Net and Pro Football Hall of Fame event (PR Newswire)
• Negative Sentiment: Centene reported a Q4 GAAP/adjusted loss (about $1.19 EPS vs. a year‑ago profit), citing rising medical costs that drove a >$1B hit — a key driver of the selloff. Centene Reports $1 Billion Loss (Forbes)
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid membership declined, and management gave a mixed revenue outlook — revenue guidance ($186.5B–$190.5B) came in below consensus, raising concerns about near‑term growth and margin recovery. Centene Takes A Hit As Medicaid Membership Shrinks (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and news outlets highlighted the mixed 2026 outlook and ongoing medical-cost pressure despite top‑line growth — the primary reason investors moved to sell. Centene Swings to Loss Despite Higher Revenue (WSJ)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Centene by 76.6% in the third 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 in the last quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Centene by 184.0% in the 3rd quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. now owns 9,046,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $322,761,000 after acquiring an additional 5,860,630 shares in the last quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Centene during the third quarter worth about $47,751,000. Boston Partners lifted its stake in Centene by 32.3% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,212,696 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,024,000 after purchasing an additional 1,272,498 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new position in Centene during the third quarter valued at approximately $44,637,000. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.