Centene Corporation $CNC Shares Sold by Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada cut its holdings in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 19.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,484,676 shares of the company’s stock after selling 363,678 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada owned about 0.30% of Centene worth $48,609,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Centene News Roundup

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 Stock Performance

Shares of CNC stock opened at $62.23 on Monday. Centene Corporation has a 12 month low of $25.08 and a 12 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 company has a market cap 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 has a fifty day moving average price of $63.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $50.30.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $1.42. The business had revenue of $53.58 billion for 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.16) EPS. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Centene Corporation will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CNC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Centene from $52.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of Centene from $48.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a report on Friday, July 17th. 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $67.00.

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.