Centene (NYSE:CNC) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Centene (NYSE:CNC) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 3.000-3.000 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS 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 Trading Down 3.7%

NYSE:CNC opened at $38.45 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.81. Centene has a 12-month low of $25.08 and a 12-month high of $66.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market cap of $18.90 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.60, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.48.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.25) by $0.06. Centene had a positive return on equity of 7.82% and a negative net margin of 2.85%.The company had revenue of $49.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Centene will post 6.86 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “sell” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (up previously from $33.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Centene from $28.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Centene from $25.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Barclays set a $44.00 price target on shares of Centene and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Centene has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $40.81.

Key Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and EPS guide ahead of expectations — Centene beat EPS estimates for the quarter (loss of $1.19 vs. est. $1.25 loss) and reported revenue of $49.73B (+21.9% YoY). Management set 2026 adjusted EPS guidance at $3.00, above Street expectations, signaling stabilization in medical costs. Centene sees 2026 profit above estimates signaling stabilizing costs
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue beat confirmation and investor materials — Centene’s reported top-line beat and published slide deck/press release give investors detail on drivers and remediation steps (useful for modeling but not a clear directional catalyst). Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst attention and bull-case commentary — Several pieces (analyst note roundups and bull-case write-ups) are revisiting forecasts and price targets ahead of/after the print; these drive volatility but deliver mixed near-term signals. Centene gears up for Q4; analyst changes
• Negative Sentiment: Large GAAP loss and continuing cost pressure — Centene reported a >$1B Q4 loss and a full-year GAAP diluted loss of $(13.53), with management pointing to elevated medical costs in government-subsidized plans; pundits highlight the ongoing challenge of restoring profitability. Centene Reports $1 Billion Loss
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue guidance below consensus — Management guided 2026 revenue to $186.5B–$190.5B, below the consensus around $192B, which tempers the positive EPS guide and may reflect conservative utilization assumptions or margin focus. Centene reports 2025 results and announces 2026 guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Policy risk could increase costs — New proposed legislation to expand no-cost-sharing mental-health coverage for pregnant/postpartum individuals (H.R.7227) could raise benefit costs for insurers like Centene if enacted, adding a regulatory cost risk over coming years. H.R.7227 overview

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Centene in the third quarter worth $215,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Centene by 64.4% during the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $202,000 after buying an additional 2,217 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL bought a new stake in Centene in the 3rd quarter worth $251,000. Headlands Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Centene by 1,236.2% during the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 3,247 shares of the company’s stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 3,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Centene during the 2nd quarter valued at about $204,000. Institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

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.