Caerus Investment Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Position in Centene Corporation $CNC

Caerus Investment Advisors LLC cut its position in Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 53.1% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 19,988 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,609 shares during the period. Caerus Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Centene were worth $654,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Summitry LLC increased its holdings in Centene by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 23,925 shares of the company’s stock worth $783,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new position in Centene during the first quarter worth about $556,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its stake in shares of Centene by 3.8% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 865,760 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,344,000 after purchasing an additional 31,485 shares in the last quarter. Bull Harbor Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centene in the first quarter worth about $2,072,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Centene by 30.4% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 3,873,987 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,834,000 after buying an additional 902,581 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene Stock Up 2.3%

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

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on CNC shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $61.00 target price (up from $55.00) on shares of Centene in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $80.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $69.00 price objective on Centene and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Centene currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $67.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Centene

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.