Caerus Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC – Free Report) by 53.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,988 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,609 shares during the quarter. Caerus Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Centene were worth $654,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Centene by 3.1% during the first quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,683 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Summitry LLC increased its position in shares of Centene by 1.1% during the first quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 23,925 shares of the company’s stock worth $783,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Centene by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 52,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,165,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Centene by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 7,465 shares of the company’s stock worth $307,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Affinity Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Centene by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $450,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $40.00 price objective on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $69.00 price target on Centene and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $53.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $67.00.
Key Stories 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 Stock Performance
CNC stock opened at $62.23 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $30.74 billion, a PE ratio of -5.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The business has a 50 day moving average of $63.87 and a 200-day moving average of $50.27. Centene Corporation has a 12-month low of $25.08 and a 12-month high of $69.36.
Centene (NYSE:CNC – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period last year, the company posted ($0.16) earnings per share. Centene’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Centene Corporation will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.
Centene 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.
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