Empowered Funds LLC Buys 314,980 Shares of Centene Corporation $CNC

Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 1,281.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 339,553 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 314,980 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Centene were worth $11,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Centene by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,978,753 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,344,676,000 after purchasing an additional 190,334 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Centene by 117.0% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 31,798,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,308,518,000 after purchasing an additional 17,143,904 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,271,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $554,338,000 after purchasing an additional 697,277 shares during the period. Deerfield Management Company L.P. raised its position in shares of Centene by 184.0% in the third quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. now owns 9,046,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,761,000 after buying an additional 5,860,630 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Centene by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,002,570 shares of the company’s stock worth $370,456,000 after buying an additional 603,585 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Centene from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 price objective on Centene in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Centene from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of Centene in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $67.00.

Centene Trading Down 1.6%

NYSE CNC opened at $60.84 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $63.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $50.19. Centene Corporation has a twelve month low of $25.08 and a twelve month high of $69.36. The company has a market capitalization of $30.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.83, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.07.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $1.42. The firm had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $47.64 billion. Centene had a positive return on equity of 12.12% and a negative net margin of 2.51%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.16) EPS. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. Research analysts forecast that Centene Corporation will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Centene reported adjusted second-quarter EPS of $2.51, well above the $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. Margin recovery, cost discipline and stronger Marketplace performance supported the results. Centene Could Be 3% Undervalued After Strong Q2 Earnings And Higher Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 outlook to approximately $4.80 in EPS, citing contained medical costs and continued margin improvement. The guidance increase initially prompted a positive market reaction. Centene Lifts 2026 Outlook as Insurer Contains Medical Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Positive momentum and value assessments continue: Zacks included CNC among its Rank #1 Strong Buy momentum stocks, while other coverage described the shares as potentially undervalued following their substantial recovery. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for July 30th
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target from $46 to $66 but maintained a Neutral rating, implying limited upside from the current trading level. Centene also announced plans to redeem $500 million of its 2027 notes, reducing future debt obligations. Centene Announces Partial Redemption of 2027 Notes
• Negative Sentiment: The main pressure is concern over declining Medicaid enrollment and the sustainability of the earnings recovery. Investors appear to be treating the improved outlook cautiously because lower membership could weigh on future revenue, while higher medical utilization remains a risk. Oscar Health Flashes Buy Signal As Medicaid Weighs On Centene

Centene 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.