Centene Corporation $CNC Holdings Trimmed by California State Teachers Retirement System

California State Teachers Retirement System lowered its holdings in Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 1.7% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 764,354 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,500 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in Centene were worth $25,025,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CNC. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in Centene in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in Centene during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 118.4% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 749 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 406 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new stake in shares of Centene in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Centene during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CNC has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $61.00 price objective (up from $55.00) on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 target price on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Centene presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $67.00.

Centene Trading Up 2.3%

Centene stock opened at $62.23 on Friday. Centene Corporation has a one year low of $25.08 and a one year high of $69.36. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $63.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $50.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The company has a market capitalization of $30.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.96, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.07.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $1.42. The company had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.64 billion. Centene had a positive return on equity of 12.12% and a negative net margin of 2.51%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.16) EPS. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Centene Corporation will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and raised outlook: Centene reported adjusted earnings of $2.51 per share, well above the $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The insurer also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to at least $4.80 per share, citing contained medical costs. Centene Lifts 2026 Outlook as Insurer Contains Medical Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has strengthened: Zacks Research upgraded CNC from “hold” to “strong buy,” while Truist maintained its buy rating. Robert W. Baird also expects the stock to rise, providing additional support for the recent rally. Zacks.com Truist Financial Keeps Their Buy Rating on Centene
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and valuation remain favorable: Zacks included Centene among its Rank #1 momentum stocks, and other analyses describe CNC as potentially undervalued following its earnings recovery. These reports may attract momentum and value-oriented investors. Best Momentum Stock to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative investment appeal: A comparison with UnitedHealth favors UNH because of its diversified platform, Optum growth and artificial-intelligence investments. The assessment does not identify a new negative development at Centene but could limit CNC’s appeal among managed-care investors. UnitedHealth vs. Centene
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid and membership concerns persist: Coverage highlights declining membership and ongoing Medicaid-related pressure, which could challenge revenue growth and margins even as medical-cost trends improve. Medicaid Weighs on Centene

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.