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Centene Corp (CNC)

Undervalued
HealthcareHealthcare PlansUnited States

Fundamental

44

Price

$62.12

Market Cap

$30.89B

Part 1 · What the company is worth

Overview

Centene Corporation operates as a managed care company that provides programs and services to under-insured families, and commercial organizations in the United States. It operates through four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The Medicaid segment offers the temporary assistance for needy families; medicaid expansion; aged, blind, or disabled; and children's health insurance programs, as well as long-term services and supports; foster care; and medicare-medicaid plans. This segment also provides healthcare products and services. The Medicare segment offers special needs and medicare supplement, and prescription drug plans. The Commercial segment provides health insurance marketplace product for individual and commercial group. The Other segment operates clinical healthcare and pharmacies, as well as offers vision and dental, behavioral health, and centralized services. It provides services through primary and specialty care physicians, hospitals, behavioral health practitioners, and ancillary providers. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.

No editorial profile for this company yet

Direct competitors

Who this company fights with for the same customers

Compare

Generated on September 18, 2026 with claude-haiku-4-5 — shared with all users

P/E: 15.7Score: 79Market cap: $85.57B

Elevance is the second-largest Medicaid managed care operator after Centene and also sells marketplace plans under its Anthem brands, so the two compete for the same state contracts and the same individual enrollees.

P/E: 23.6Score: 80Market cap: $336.61B

UnitedHealth's community and state business is one of the Big Five Medicaid plans and it has the widest ACA marketplace footprint of any insurer, overlapping Centene's Medicaid and Ambetter lines in most states.

P/E: 22.6Score: 64Market cap: $112.36B

Through Aetna, CVS Health is one of the five largest Medicaid managed care companies and a direct rival in Medicare Advantage and dual-eligible plans, the same government-funded members Centene serves.

P/E: 40.7Score: 67Market cap: $46.78B

Humana competes with Centene's Wellcare brand for Medicare Advantage and Part D members and bids for the same state Medicaid contracts, though it is far more concentrated on seniors.

Molina Healthcare, Inc.MOH

Molina is Centene's closest business twin: both build their revenue on state Medicaid contracts and ACA marketplace plans for low-income members, and they bid against each other in the same state procurements.

Oscar Health, Inc.OSCR

Oscar sells almost exclusively ACA marketplace plans in twenty states and is the main challenger to Ambetter, Centene's individual-exchange brand.

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Revenue

$178.66B

Trailing 12 months (through 6/30/2026)

Net Income

$-5.10B

Trailing 12 months (through 6/30/2026)

Free Cash Flow

$4.32B

Total Equity

$19.95B

Total Liabilities

$56.69B

Current Ratio

1.15

Interest Coverage

8.61

Debt/EBITDA

-

Earnings Per Share

Revenue & Net Income

Free Cash Flow

Income Breakdown

Historical statement

Margins over time

Debt over time

How heavy the debt is

Growth grid

Growth — Revenue

Fair Value Estimation

General caseUndervalued

Fair Value

$152.99

Current Price

$62.12

Margin of Safety

+59.4%

Fair Value Range

$99.44 - $206.54

Spread across the valuation methods used, not a statistically calibrated confidence interval.

Estimation Methods

Analyst price target:$71.78
Discounted cash flow (DCF):$254.50
Earnings multiple (P/E):Not enough data to compute it
Graham growth formula:Not enough data to compute it
Earnings power value (EPV):Not enough data to compute it
Justified P/B:Not enough data to compute it
Dividend discount (Gordon):Not enough data to compute it
P/FFO, funds from operations:Not enough data to compute it
Mid-cycle earnings:$185.56
Revenue multiple:$1574.88
Analyst Consensus:Buy (12B / 14H / 1S)
Last Earnings Surprise:+129.04%

Valuation Metrics

P/E Ratio

-

ROE

-33.4%

P/B Ratio

1.36

P/FCF

3.43

Gross Margin

9.1%

ROIC

-10.5%

Profitability Radar

Value Creation (Economic Moat)

ROIC

-10.5%

WACC

8.0%

ROIC − WACC

-18.6 pp

ROIC is below the cost of capital — the company is destroying value for every dollar invested.

Fundamental Analysis Criteria

Passed (11)

  • Price CAGR 8.92%
  • P/FCF 3.43
  • P/B Ratio 1.36
  • Debt/Equity ratio
  • Positive Free Cash Flow
  • CapEx intensity
  • Current Ratio
  • Interest Coverage
  • Revenue Growth 5Y 24.5%
  • Earnings Surprise avg 161.0%
  • Share Dilution -5.8%

Failed (11)

  • EPS shows upward trend
  • ROIC -10.5%
  • Gross Margin 9.1%
  • Operating Margin -3.2%
  • Return on Tangible Assets
  • Low reliance on intangibles
  • DCF valuation (Fairly valued)
  • ROE -24.0%
  • Analyst Consensus 44% Buy
  • Net Margin Trend -2.9% vs 1.3%
  • Piotroski F-Score 4/9

Unavailable (5)

  • Dividend Payout NaN%
  • Debt/EBITDA
  • Price below Graham Number
  • PEG Ratio (need PE > 0 and growth > 0)
  • Earnings Quality (OCF/Net Income)

Piotroski F-Score

4/9

Mixed signals: some areas need attention

score
criteria

Earnings Quality

-

Low quality: investigate accounting

Share Dilution

-5.8%

Buying back shares. Shareholder friendly

Institutional Holdings

Governance

Executive Team

NameTitleAge
Ms. Sarah M. LondonCEO & Director44
Mr. Andrew Lynn AsherExecutive VP & CFO56
Ms. Susan R. SmithChief Operating Officer49
Mr. Christopher Andrew KosterExecutive VP, General Counsel & Secretary60
Ms. Tanya M. McNallySenior VP & Chief People Officer51
Mr. Theodore Joseph PienkosCorporate Controller & Chief Accounting Officer43
Mr. Bradley BolivarChief Information Officer-
Ms. Jennifer Lynch GilliganSenior Vice President of Investor Relations-
Ms. Ashlee KnuckeyChief Risk, Ethics & Compliance Officer-
Ms. Cary D. HobbsExecutive VP & Chief of Staff57

Audit Risk

2

Board Risk

2

Compensation Risk

5

Shareholder Rights Risk

1

Part 2 · The price and when to enter

This part won't tell you whether the company is worth owning: it helps you choose when to buy it, once the fundamentals have convinced you. Inside: technical analysis, potential, historical drawdowns, gamma exposure.

Documents

  • Annual Report (10-K)

    A yearly overview of the business, its financial results, and the risks it faces.

    Filed on 2026-02-17

    View document
  • Quarterly Report (10-Q)

    A snapshot of financial performance for the most recent three-month period.

    Filed on 2026-07-28

    View document
  • Current Report (8-K)

    An announcement of a major event, such as a leadership change or big news.

    Filed on 2026-09-16

    View document

via SEC EDGAR

Income History

via SEC EDGAR

Latest News

Recent headlines for CNC, sourced from Markets Gazette.

  • 7/28/2026POSITIVE
    Centene Boosts Guidance, Reports Favorable Medical Costs

    Centene Corporation has raised its annual profit guidance, signaling strong performance in the second quarter. The health insurer's improved outlook comes amid expectations that it can successfully navigate evolving government policies impacting the sector. This upward revision suggests robust operational execution and potentially better-than-anticipated medical cost management, which are key drivers for profitability in the health insurance industry. Investors will likely view this as a positive indicator of the company's resilience and future earnings potential.

  • 6/18/2026NEUTRAL
    If You Invested $100 In Centene Stock 20 Years Ago, You Would Have This Much Today

    An investment of $100 in Centene Corporation (CNC) stock twenty years ago would have yielded a significant return, though the exact figure is not provided in this summary. The article likely details the historical performance of Centene, a major managed care organization, over the past two decades. Investors considering Centene should analyze its long-term growth trajectory, market position within the healthcare sector, and any significant strategic shifts or regulatory challenges it has faced during this period to understand the drivers of its past performance and future potential.

  • 6/16/2026NEGATIVE
    Membership Slump Forces Health Giant Centene Into Staff Buyouts: Report

    Centene Corporation is implementing a significant cost-cutting initiative, offering voluntary buyouts to employees due to a notable decline in health plan enrollment. This move signals financial pressure and a strategic pivot to reduce operational expenses. Investors should monitor the effectiveness of these cost-saving measures and the company's ability to stabilize or grow its membership base in the coming quarters. The success of this plan will be crucial for future profitability and stock performance.

  • 3/25/2026NEUTRAL
    The youngest-ever female Fortune 500 CEO is reinventing the largest Medicaid insurer amid funding cuts and rising costs

    The article highlights the leadership of the youngest-ever female CEO at a Fortune 500 company, who is navigating Centene Corporation, a major Medicaid insurer, through a challenging environment of funding cuts and rising healthcare costs. While the article focuses on the CEO's strategic initiatives and the company's resilience, it does not provide specific financial performance data or forward-looking guidance that would directly impact stock valuation. Investors will be watching for how these strategies translate into tangible financial results in upcoming quarters.

  • 3/15/2026NEGATIVE
    Centene, Paramount Skydance, And Ulta Beauty Are Among Top 10 Large Cap Losers Last Week (March 9-March 13): Are the Others in Your Portfolio?

    Centene Corporation was among the top 10 large-cap decliners last week, with its stock price falling significantly. The broader market saw healthcare, media, beauty, and tech stocks leading the downturn. This decline was attributed to a combination of factors including earnings misses, weak forward-looking guidance provided by companies, downward analyst revisions, and challenging financing conditions. Investors are advised to monitor these headwinds closely as they impact sentiment and stock performance across various sectors.

  • 3/10/2026NEGATIVE
    Obamacare enrollment is plunging as costs soar, pushing down stocks like Centene

    Centene Corporation's stock is facing pressure as enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, plummets. Soaring costs associated with the ACA are making health insurance plans less attractive, leading to a decline in policyholders. This trend directly impacts health insurers like Centene, which derive a significant portion of their revenue from ACA-compliant plans. The decrease in enrollment suggests lower premium revenues and potentially higher per-member costs for insurers, signaling a challenging financial outlook for the company and potentially others in the managed care sector.

via Markets Gazette