Centene Corporation $CNC Shares Sold by Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada decreased its position in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 19.7% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,484,676 shares of the company’s stock after selling 363,678 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Centene were worth $48,609,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centene during the fourth quarter worth about $2,566,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its position in Centene by 114.1% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 45,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,885,000 after acquiring an additional 24,411 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 162.6% in the fourth quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,720,422 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,223 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its holdings in shares of Centene by 426.8% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 2,318,075 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,389,000 after purchasing an additional 1,878,064 shares during the period. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in Centene by 599.0% during the 4th quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 52,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,173,000 after buying an additional 45,260 shares during the last quarter. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CNC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Centene from $58.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Centene from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $65.00 target price (up from $47.00) on shares of Centene in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on Centene from $60.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $80.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Centene has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $67.00.

Centene Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of CNC opened at $62.23 on Monday. Centene Corporation has a twelve month low of $25.08 and a twelve month high of $69.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.96, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.08. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $63.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.30.

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

Trending Headlines about 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

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.