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CNC Stock Forecast: Centene Corp. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 14 Oct 2026
$70
+1.89% on the day

The 21 Wall Street analysts covering Centene Corp. hold a median 12-month price target of $71 — +0.5% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 93 of 100 as at 14 Oct 2026 — among the strongest tenth. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$34.0B
Ticker Nerd rank
93 / 100
Median analyst target
$71
Analysts covering
21
Revenue$53.6B+9.9% y/y
Operating income$1.2B
Net income$1.1B
Free cash flow$3.4B
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
+8.0%
1M
+1.1%
YTD
+70.5%
1Y
+92.5%
From 52W high
0.0%
From 52W low
+120.6%
$32
$70
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

CNC stock analysis: one number for the whole business

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.

Where the model ranks itAs at 14 Oct 2026
93 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Value
95
Momentum
93
Revisions
90
Issuance
90
Accruals
88
Volatility
73
Growth
54
Quality
34
Size
7

Value (95): The shares cost little relative to the profits and assets behind them — which can mean the market is too gloomy, or that the business really is in trouble.

Quality (34): Profits are thin or unreliable for the size of the business, or they are not turning into cash.

Size (7): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

CNC stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on CNC, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$30$40$50$60$70$80$90Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26CNCHigh $85Median $71Low $56

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

What Wall Street says21 analysts
8 Buy12 Hold1 Sell
Low $56Median $71High $85

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +0.5% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 9 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
11 Aug 2026Argus ResearchUpgradeBuy$80
4 Aug 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral$60 → $67
3 Aug 2026BernsteinMaintainsOutperform$68 → $79
3 Aug 2026BernsteinMaintainsOutperform—
29 July 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral—
29 July 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral$46 → $66
29 July 2026BarclaysMaintainsOverweight—
29 July 2026BarclaysMaintainsOverweight$75 → $80
14 July 2026TD CowenMaintainsHold—
14 July 2026TD CowenMaintainsHold$47 → $65
14 July 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsBuy—
14 July 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsBuy$71 → $78
13 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight$56 → $69
13 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight—
9 July 2026RBC CapitalMaintainsSector Perform—
9 July 2026RBC CapitalMaintainsSector Perform$70 → $71
7 July 2026Cantor FitzgeraldMaintainsOverweight$60 → $75
7 July 2026Cantor FitzgeraldMaintainsOverweight—
23 June 2026RBC CapitalInitiatesSector Perform—
8 June 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. CNC appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

CNC vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 14 Oct 2026, Centene Corp. returned +92.5% against +17.5% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

CNC vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
80100120140160180200Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26CNCS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

CNC analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+39.2%
Analysts raising
0
Analysts cutting
0
Fundamentals

Centene Corp. (CNC) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
8.1×

Cheaper than 61% of US stocks

Price / sales
0.2×

Cheaper than 92% of US stocks

Price / book
1.5×

Cheaper than 52% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
4.8×

Cheaper than 53% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
4.6%

Higher than 38% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
9.9%

Higher than 48% of US stocks

Gross margin
8.6%

Higher than 8% of US stocks

Operating margin
3.8%

Higher than 52% of US stocks

Net margin
−2.8%

Higher than 26% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
−20.4%

Higher than 31% of US stocks

Return on assets
2.5%

Higher than 62% of US stocks

Dividend yield
0.0%

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.

Key statistics

Centene Corp. (CNC) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

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 $34.0B and an enterprise value of $22.3B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $202.9B. The latest quarter grew 4.6% 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.

  • Shares outstanding: 494.0M.

  • Trailing P/E: 8.1×; forward P/E: 12.9× — 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.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 14 Oct 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

CNC vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelHealthcare Plans
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
CNCCentene Corp.$34.0B
93
HUMHumana, Inc.$51.4B
48
CIThe Cigna Group$76.5B
75
ELVElevance Health, Inc.$95.1B
73
MOHMolina Healthcare, Inc.$10.8B
36
CVSCVS Health Corp.$114.7B
86
OSCROscar Health, Inc.$10.2B
91

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 →

News

Latest CNC news & analysis

Centene Remains A Buy Heading Into Q3

Seeking Alpha · 15 Oct 2026positive

Seeking Alpha says Centene remains rated a Buy heading into Q3, citing operational improvements, disciplined capital management, and a valuation below sector averages. Medicaid margins are holding up despite expected 8–9% membership attrition, while Medicare profitability is improving and prescription drug plan margins are expected to exceed 3% for the year, up from 2%.

Why it matters — CNC watchers may note the report’s emphasis on resilient Medicaid margins and improving Medicare profitability amid expected membership attrition.

Centene's Gold Card Push Could Ease Costs - But Will Savings Follow?

Zacks Investment Research · 14 Oct 2026neutral

Centene is expanding its nationwide Gold Card program to streamline prior authorization and reduce administrative costs. Its financial impact will depend on adoption and whether the program delivers actual savings.

Why it matters — CNC watchers may track adoption and realized savings to assess whether the program reduces administrative costs.

Centene to Launch Nationwide Gold Card Program for Qualifying Providers

PRNewsWire · 13 Oct 2026positive

Centene said it will launch its National Performance-Based Gold Card Program in November 2026. Initially, the program will be available to more than 160,000 qualifying providers nationwide for select outpatient services, aiming to streamline prior authorization reviews while maintaining clinical and quality standards.

Why it matters — CNC watchers may note the initiative's planned changes to prior authorization for participating providers and outpatient services.

Centene vs. Molina: Which Managed Care Stock Has More Upside?

Zacks Investment Research · 12 Oct 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research says Centene’s diversified business, improving margins and lower valuation give it an edge over Molina, alongside stronger earnings prospects and greater upside potential.

Why it matters — The comparison highlights factors that may be relevant to investors assessing Centene’s business and earnings outlook relative to Molina.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about CNC stock

What is the CNC stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 21 Wall Street analysts covering Centene Corp. have a median 12-month price target of $71, with estimates ranging from $56 to $85. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is CNC stock a buy right now?

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 14 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank CNC?

As at 14 Oct 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 Value (95 of 100).

Will CNC stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 21 analysts implies +0.5% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Centene Corp. 93 out of 100 as at 14 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the CNC stock forecast for 2030?

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.

How has CNC stock performed over the past year?

Centene Corp. returned +92.5% over the 12 months to 14 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Centene Corp. do?

Centene Corp. is a managed healthcare company that provides health coverage and related services across the United States.

What is the latest news on CNC?

The most recent item we track (Seeking Alpha, 15 Oct 2026): "Centene Remains A Buy Heading Into Q3". Seeking Alpha says Centene remains rated a Buy heading into Q3, citing operational improvements, disciplined capital management, and a valuation below sector averages. Medicaid margins are holding up despite expected 8–9% membership attrition, while Medicare profitability is improving and prescription drug plan margins are expected to exceed 3% for the year, up from 2%.

Company

About Centene Corp.

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