Centene (NYSE:CNC) Price Target Raised to $37.00 at Robert W. Baird

Key Points

• Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Centene to $37.00 (from $36.00) while keeping a "neutral" rating, implying about a 1.54% downside from the prior close.
• Analyst consensus is a Hold with an average price target of $41.88; of 20 analysts, 3 rate Buy, 14 Hold and 3 Sell, and recent moves include Morgan Stanley raising its target to $45 and Wall Street Zen downgrading to Hold.
• Centene reported (-$1.19) EPS (beating estimates) and revenue of $49.73B (+21.9% YoY); the company has a market cap of $18.48B and a 52-week range of $25.08–$64.15.

Centene (NYSE:CNC - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird from $36.00 to $37.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird's price target suggests a potential downside of 1.54% from the company's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on CNC. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Centene from $38.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Argus upgraded shares of Centene to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $41.00 price objective on shares of Centene in a research note on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Centene from $45.00 to $41.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Centene from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, February 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $41.88.

Centene Stock Performance

NYSE:CNC opened at $37.58 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm's 50-day moving average is $38.26 and its 200-day moving average is $38.98. Centene has a 52-week low of $25.08 and a 52-week high of $64.15. The company has a market cap of $18.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.76, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.59.

Centene (NYSE:CNC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.22) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $49.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.41 billion. Centene had a positive return on equity of 4.25% and a negative net margin of 3.43%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 21.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.80 earnings per share. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Centene will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CNC. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centene during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in Centene during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 455.6% during the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 739 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 606 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Centene by 118.4% in the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 749 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centene in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. 93.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Centene

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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