Centene Corporation $CNC Holdings Cut by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp trimmed its Centene stake by 9.7% in Q4, selling 35,759 shares and leaving it with 331,693 shares worth about $13.65 million (≈0.07% of the company).
• Centene delivered a Q1 earnings beat (EPS $3.37 vs. $2.23 est.; revenue $49.94B vs. $47.53B), sparking multiple analyst upgrades and higher price targets (e.g., Truist $58 buy, Cantor Fitzgerald $60 overweight), though consensus sentiment remains a "Hold" with an average target of $52.12.

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lowered its holdings in Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC - Free Report) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 331,693 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,759 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned about 0.07% of Centene worth $13,651,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Addison Advisors LLC lifted its position in Centene by 455.6% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 739 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares during the last quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Centene in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. WPG Advisers LLC lifted its position in Centene by 44.5% in the 3rd quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 915 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in Centene by 11,011.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 991 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its position in Centene by 152.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,010 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. 93.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CNC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Centene from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Centene from $49.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Centene from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $41.00 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $58.00 price objective (up from $45.00) on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Centene from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $60.00 in a report on Wednesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $52.12.

Centene Price Performance

NYSE CNC opened at $53.37 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $26.36 billion, a PE ratio of -4.06, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.06. Centene Corporation has a 1 year low of $25.08 and a 1 year high of $64.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $38.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.45.

Centene (NYSE:CNC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $3.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by $1.14. The company had revenue of $49.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.53 billion. Centene had a positive return on equity of 5.57% and a negative net margin of 3.25%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.90 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Centene Corporation will post 3.46 EPS for the current year.

Centene News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: Centene reported stronger-than-expected EPS and raised its outlook, which supports margin improvement narratives that helped multiple brokers upgrade or re-assess the name. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street bullish notes: Truist reiterated a Buy rating and Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded the stock, signaling investor confidence from some major brokers. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term recovery thesis boosted: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights promising 2027 turnaround prospects and potential momentum reversal—supportive for investors focused on multi‑year recovery. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $56 while keeping an Equal Weight view, indicating some upside in the broker community even as conviction is measured. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker PTs raised but ratings cautious: Deutsche Bank, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley all lifted targets (to $53, $50 and $50 respectively) but maintained Hold/Neutral/Equal Weight stances — a modest vote of confidence that stops short of strong endorsement. Read More. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ opinions remain mixed overall — coverage notes a blend of upgrades and cautious takes, keeping sentiment balanced rather than uniformly positive. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Lower consensus price target: A brokerage consensus report shows a $42 average target — well below current levels — which could cap upside if that view gains traction. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution concerns flagged: A Seeking Alpha commentary warns that further upside will require better operational execution, a caution investors may lean on after recent volatility. Read More.

Centene Profile

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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