Key facts, as of
As of September 29, 2026, Centene Corporation (CNC) trades at $62.21, up 76.7% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $31.63 to $69.63; the price is 10.7% below that high. It sits 18.6% above its 200-day average of $52.47, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 34.1% annualized, which we rate high risk.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Centene Corporation (CNC) stock analysis", 2026-09-29. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/cnc
Where it trades today
trading 80% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The read on the stock is often driven by pipeline durability, reimbursement pressure, and whether new launches can offset patent cliffs.
- Recent realized volatility is running around 34.1%, above the sector norm of 22.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- Relative performance versus UNH, JNJ, PFE matters here because leadership inside healthcare rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- CNC is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside healthcare than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- The risk profile looks balanced enough for a diversified core-plus portfolio, provided the position size reflects sector concentration.
- The stock becomes more useful when paired with an explicit catalyst watchlist, because sector sentiment can shift quickly around policy, rates, or pipeline news.
What Would Change the View
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
- There is little income cushion here, so total return depends mainly on price appreciation and execution staying on track.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as UNH, JNJ, PFE start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for CNC come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Healthcare so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for CNC. Last refresh: Sep 29, 2026, 10:33 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
What Centene Corporation does
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…
What analysts expect
CNC carries a buy consensus from 18 analysts, with an average price target of $71.78 versus $62.21 today (+15.4%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
CNC generated $180.30B in trailing revenue (4.6% year over year), with a -2.8% net margin, and $9.64B of free cash flow, supported by $10.95B of net cash.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $194.78B | $13.87B | -$312.00M | -$6.67B | -$13.53 | $4.32B |
| 2024 | $163.07B | $16.83B | $3.19B | $3.31B | $6.33 | -$490.00M |
| 2023 | $154.00B | $17.32B | $3.46B | $2.70B | $4.97 | $7.25B |
| 2022 | $144.55B | $16.66B | $3.64B | $1.20B | $2.09 | $5.26B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in healthcare
Defensive sector including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, and healthcare services.
The companies it competes with
CNC beside the healthcare names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Slipped under its 50-day average inside a longer uptrend.
weakening- Price is 4.2% below its 50-day average and 18.6% above its 200-day.
- RSI at 41 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $63.36 (+1.9%), the nearest floor $60.33 (-3.0%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is CNC a good buy right now?
Centene Corporation operates in the Healthcare sector. Current risk level is High based on 34.1% volatility.
Does CNC pay dividends?
Centene Corporation does not currently pay a regular dividend. The company may be reinvesting profits for growth.
How volatile is CNC?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 34.1% and beta of 1.11, CNC is classified as High risk. Expect larger swings than the broader market during volatile periods.
What is the analyst price target for CNC?
The average analyst price target for Centene Corporation (CNC) is $71.78 based on 18 analyst estimates, about 15.4% above the current price of $62.21. The published range runs from $56.00 to $85.00.
How much revenue does CNC generate?
Centene Corporation reported $180.30B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 4.6% year over year. Net margin sits at -2.8%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare CNC with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.