Centene Corporation $CNC Shares Purchased by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Key Points

• Janus Henderson increased its Centene stake by 3.8% in the first quarter, purchasing 31,485 additional shares for a total of 865,760 shares valued at approximately $28.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 93.63% of Centene.
• Centene reported strong quarterly results, with adjusted EPS of $2.51 versus the $1.09 analyst consensus and revenue up 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The company raised its 2026 earnings outlook to at least $4.80 per share.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but improving: several firms raised their price targets and Zacks upgraded the stock to “strong buy,” while the consensus rating remains Hold with a $67 price target. Medicaid pressure and declining membership remain key risks.

Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC - Free Report) by 3.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 865,760 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 31,485 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned 0.18% of Centene worth $28,344,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centene during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,566,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its position in Centene by 114.1% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 45,798 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,885,000 after purchasing an additional 24,411 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in Centene by 426.8% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 2,318,075 shares of the company's stock worth $95,389,000 after buying an additional 1,878,064 shares during the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its position in Centene by 162.6% in the fourth quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,720,422 shares of the company's stock worth $70,795,000 after buying an additional 1,065,223 shares during the period. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Centene by 599.0% in the fourth quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 52,816 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,173,000 after buying an additional 45,260 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.63% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Centene from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Centene from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Centene from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 price objective on Centene in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Centene has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $67.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and raised outlook: Centene reported adjusted earnings of $2.51 per share, well above the $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The insurer also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to at least $4.80 per share, citing contained medical costs. Centene Lifts 2026 Outlook as Insurer Contains Medical Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has strengthened: Zacks Research upgraded CNC from “hold” to “strong buy,” while Truist maintained its buy rating. Robert W. Baird also expects the stock to rise, providing additional support for the recent rally. Zacks.com Truist Financial Keeps Their Buy Rating on Centene
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and valuation remain favorable: Zacks included Centene among its Rank #1 momentum stocks, and other analyses describe CNC as potentially undervalued following its earnings recovery. These reports may attract momentum and value-oriented investors. Best Momentum Stock to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative investment appeal: A comparison with UnitedHealth favors UNH because of its diversified platform, Optum growth and artificial-intelligence investments. The assessment does not identify a new negative development at Centene but could limit CNC’s appeal among managed-care investors. UnitedHealth vs. Centene
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid and membership concerns persist: Coverage highlights declining membership and ongoing Medicaid-related pressure, which could challenge revenue growth and margins even as medical-cost trends improve. Medicaid Weighs on Centene

Centene Stock Performance

Shares of CNC opened at $62.23 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.74 billion, a PE ratio of -5.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $63.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $50.30. Centene Corporation has a 52-week low of $25.08 and a 52-week high of $69.36.

Centene (NYSE:CNC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09 by $1.42. The company had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.64 billion. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.51% and a positive return on equity of 12.12%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.16) EPS. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Centene Corporation will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Centene Company 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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