Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Decreases Stake in Centene Corporation $CNC

Key Points

• Liontrust Investment Partners cut its Centene stake by 39% in the first quarter, selling 34,180 shares and retaining 53,422 shares valued at approximately $1.75 million. Institutional investors collectively own 93.63% of CNC.
• Centene delivered a strong second quarter: adjusted EPS of $2.51 beat the $1.09 consensus, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The company raised its 2026 earnings guidance to at least $4.80 per share.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with several firms raising price targets and maintaining buy ratings, but MarketBeat’s consensus remains “Hold” with a $67 average target. Declining membership and Medicaid-related pressures remain risks despite improving medical-cost trends.

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP lessened its holdings in Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC - Free Report) by 39.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,422 shares of the company's stock after selling 34,180 shares during the period. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP's holdings in Centene were worth $1,749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in Centene in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Centene during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Centene by 118.4% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 749 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 406 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new position in shares of Centene in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Centene during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. 93.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Centene News Roundup

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 Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNC opened at $62.23 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.74 billion, a PE ratio of -5.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $63.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.27. Centene Corporation has a twelve month low of $25.08 and a twelve month high of $69.36.

Centene (NYSE:CNC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $1.42. The company had revenue of $53.58 billion for 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.16) earnings per share. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Centene Corporation will post 4.91 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on CNC. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $80.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Centene in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "sell" rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Centene from $52.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Centene from $60.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $75.00 target price on Centene in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $67.00.

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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