CNCHealthcare · Healthcare PlansThe 21 Wall Street analysts covering Centene Corp. hold a median 12-month price target of $75 — -1.3% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 93 of 100 as at 4 Nov 2026 — among the strongest tenth. The factors read stronger than the Street's target implies. That gap is the story on this page.
Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Centene Corp. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.
Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested
Growth (93): Sales and profits are climbing, and climbing faster than before.
Quality (33): Profits are thin or unreliable for the size of the business, or they are not turning into cash.
Size (6): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.
Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs systematic trader with 15+ years in markets.
The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on CNC, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The green dot is the last close — the median target sits −1.3% from it.
Of the 20 most recent actions, 14 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 2026 | Truist Securities | Reiterates | Buy | $80 → $82 |
| 30 Oct 2026 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Equal-Weight | $69 → $75 |
| 29 Oct 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $67 → $75 |
| 28 Oct 2026 | B of A Securities | Maintains | Buy | $80 → $82 |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Neutral | $66 → $71 |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Overweight | $80 → $82 |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Cantor Fitzgerald | Maintains | Overweight | $75 → $79 |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Equal-Weight | $66 → $71 |
| 28 Oct 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $70 → $78 |
| 11 Aug 2026 | Argus Research | Upgrade | Buy | — |
| 11 Aug 2026 | Argus Research | Upgrade | Buy | $80 |
| 4 Aug 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $60 → $67 |
| 4 Aug 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 3 Aug 2026 | Bernstein | Maintains | Outperform | $68 → $79 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | Bernstein | Maintains | Outperform | — |
| 29 July 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 29 July 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Neutral | $46 → $66 |
| 29 July 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Overweight | — |
| 29 July 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Overweight | $75 → $80 |
| 14 July 2026 | TD Cowen | Maintains | Hold | $47 → $65 |
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
CNC appears in the Radar on the weeks it earns a place.
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Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.
Over the twelve months to 4 Nov 2026, Centene Corp. returned +110.5% against +14.8% for the S&P 500, dividends included.
Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.
Data provided by Twelve Data
Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.
A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.
Cheaper than 33% of US stocks
Cheaper than 92% of US stocks
Cheaper than 53% of US stocks
Cheaper than 52% of US stocks
Higher than 28% of US stocks
Higher than 49% of US stocks
Higher than 8% of US stocks
Higher than 46% of US stocks
Higher than 49% of US stocks
Higher than 56% of US stocks
Higher than 63% of US stocks
Higher than 1% of US dividend payers
Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.
The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.
Centene Corp. has a market value of $33.4B and an enterprise value of $25.0B.
Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $202.9B. The latest quarter grew 0.2% year on year.
Net income over the same four quarters: −$5.1B, a −2.5% net margin.
Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $−10.44.
Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $9.0B, after $798.0M of capital spending.
Centene Corp. spent $35.0M on share buybacks in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.
Trailing P/E: 23.0×; forward P/E: 12.1× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.
Forward dividend yield: 0.00%, paying out 0% of earnings.
Centene Corp. employs 61,100 people — $3.3M of revenue per employee.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.
Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.
The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Centene Corp. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →
The headline groups HCA Healthcare, Centene, and Oscar among companies riding a “blue wave” to buy points. The excerpt says investors may be looking ahead to 2028.
Why it matters — Centene is named in the headline, and the excerpt frames the item around investor expectations about 2028.
Zacks Investment Research highlighted Centene alongside APA, T-Mobile and BP as a GARP stock, citing attractive valuations and sustainable earnings growth potential amid market volatility.
Why it matters — The item includes Centene in a discussion of stocks combining valuation and potential earnings growth.
Centene reported Q3 results that beat estimates and raised its 2026 earnings outlook. The call highlighted a faster Medicare recovery alongside Medicaid enrollment and margin risks.
Why it matters — CNC watchers may weigh the improved outlook and accelerating Medicare recovery against ongoing Medicaid and margin risks.
Zacks Investment Research asks whether Centene (CNC) has the characteristics of a top stock pick for momentum investors. The excerpt provides no further analysis or supporting details.
Why it matters — The item frames CNC through a momentum-investing lens, but the provided excerpt does not explain the basis for that view.
Zacks Investment Research explains how its Style Scores help investors identify top-rated stocks according to their investing style, presenting Centene as a top value stock for the long term.
Why it matters — The item highlights Zacks’ value-stock framing of Centene and describes the Style Scores approach behind it.
The 21 Wall Street analysts covering Centene Corp. have a median 12-month price target of $75, with estimates ranging from $56 to $85. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Of the 21 analysts covering Centene Corp., 8 rate it a Buy, 12 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Centene Corp. 93 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 4 Nov 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.
As at 4 Nov 2026, Centene Corp. ranks 93 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Growth (93 of 100).
No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 21 analysts implies -1.3% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Centene Corp. 93 out of 100 as at 4 Nov 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.
No analyst covering Centene Corp. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for CNC are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $56 to $85 over the next 12 months.
Centene Corp. returned +110.5% over the 12 months to 4 Nov 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
Centene Corp. is a managed healthcare company that provides health coverage and related services across the United States.
The most recent item we track (Investors Business Daily, 4 Nov 2026): "HCA Healthcare, Centene, Oscar Ride Blue Wave To Buy Points". The headline groups HCA Healthcare, Centene, and Oscar among companies riding a “blue wave” to buy points. The excerpt says investors may be looking ahead to 2028.
Centene Corp. is a managed healthcare company that provides health coverage and related services across the United States. The company focuses on government-sponsored and commercial health programs, with core operations in Medicaid, Medicare, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. It serves individuals, families, and communities through locally branded health plans and a network of regional teams designed to deliver coordinated care. Centene also offers Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, long-term services and supports, and other health solutions that address the needs of underinsured and vulnerable populations. Its business model centers on affordable access to care, combining insurance products with administrative and care management services. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Centene plays a significant role in the U.S. managed care market, particularly in programs serving public health and individual coverage needs.
CEO Ms. Sarah M. London · 61,100 employees · United States · https://www.centene.com
