Centene (CNC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

$29.33 +0.52 (+1.79%)

Closing price 08/22/2025 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$29.37 +0.04 (+0.15%)

As of 08/22/2025 07:59 PM Eastern

Centene - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

Consensus Rating

Hold

Based on 17 Analyst Ratings

Sell
1

Hold
13

Buy
3

Based on 17 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Centene in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 17 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 13 have given a hold rating, and 3 have given a buy rating for CNC.

Consensus Price Target

$42.20
43.89% Upside

According to the 17 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Centene, the average price target is $42.20. The highest price target for CNC is $88.00, while the lowest price target for CNC is $28.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 43.89% from the current price of $29.33.

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CNC Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 8/23/24 to 8/23/25	1 Month Ago 7/24/24 to 7/24/25	3 Months Ago 5/25/24 to 5/25/25	1 Year Ago 8/24/23 to 8/23/24
Strong Buy	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	3 Buy rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	9 Buy rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)
Hold	13 Hold rating(s)	13 Hold rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	9 Hold rating(s)
Sell	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$42.20	$52.50	$79.77	$83.93
Forecasted Upside	43.89% Upside	96.50% Upside	41.37% Upside	6.85% Upside
Consensus Rating	Hold	Hold	Moderate Buy	Hold

CNC Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.

CNC Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.

Centene Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Centene	Medical Companies	S&P 500
Consensus Rating Score	2.12	2.79	2.53
Consensus Rating	Hold	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	43.61% Upside	13,109.61% Upside	9.61% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Neutral News See Recent CNC News	Positive News	Positive News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

Export to Excel

Date	Brokerage	Analyst Name	Action	Rating	Price Target	Upside/Downside on Report Date
8/4/2025	Morgan Stanley 3 of 5 stars	Ricky Goldwasser Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$33.00 ➝ $28.00	+4.64%
7/29/2025	JPMorgan Chase & Co. 2 of 5 stars	John Stansel Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$48.00 ➝ $30.00	+13.79%
7/28/2025	Cantor Fitzgerald 4 of 5 stars	Sarah James Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Overweight ➝ Neutral	$65.00 ➝ $38.00	+33.99%
7/28/2025	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	A.J. Rice Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$45.00 ➝ $31.00	+15.37%
7/28/2025	Truist Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Ryan MacDonald Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$42.00 ➝ $35.00	+26.88%
7/28/2025	Oppenheimer Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Michael Wiederhorn Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$51.00 ➝ $43.00	+55.23%
7/25/2025	Robert W. Baird Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Michael Ha Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$68.00 ➝ $28.00	+4.80%
7/23/2025	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Stephen Baxter Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Overweight ➝ Equal Weight	$72.00 ➝ $30.00	+7.72%
7/21/2025	TD Cowen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Ryan Langston Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Buy ➝ Hold	$73.00 ➝ $33.00	+18.07%
7/16/2025	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Kevin Fischbeck Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Neutral ➝ Underperform	$52.00 ➝ $30.00
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7/11/2025	Mizuho Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Ann Hynes Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$71.00 ➝ $40.00	+26.10%
7/2/2025	Barclays Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	A. Mok Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$65.00 ➝ $45.00	+20.05%
4/29/2025	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	David Windley Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Hold ➝ Hold	$64.00 ➝ $61.00	+2.98%
4/29/2025	Guggenheim Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	J. Cassorla Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Neutral ➝ Neutral
2/6/2025	Argus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	J. Staszak Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Buy ➝ Hold
12/13/2024	Stephens Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$75.00 ➝ $73.00	+22.09%
10/30/2024	Sanford C. Bernstein Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$96.00 ➝ $88.00	+42.19%
8/2/2024	Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Hold ➝ Hold	$82.00 ➝ $87.00	+11.80%
5/30/2024	Baird R W Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	M. Ha Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 03:13 AM ET.

Should I Buy Centene Stock? CNC Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Friday, August 22, 2025. Please send any questions or comments about these Centene pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Centene
Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Centene Co.:

The current stock price is around $29.36, which may present a buying opportunity for investors looking for value in the healthcare sector.
Centene Co. reported a significant year-over-year revenue increase of 22.4%, indicating strong growth potential and demand for its services.
The company has a relatively low P/E ratio of 7.27, suggesting that the stock may be undervalued compared to its earnings, which could attract value-focused investors.
Recent insider buying, including a notable purchase by the CEO, may signal confidence in the company's future performance and stability.
Centene Co. operates in various segments, including Medicaid and Medicare, which diversifies its revenue streams and reduces reliance on a single market.

Centene
Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Centene Co. for these reasons:

The stock has experienced significant price reductions from various analysts, with target prices being lowered, indicating potential concerns about future performance.
Centene Co. reported an EPS of ($0.16) for the latest quarter, missing analysts' expectations, which may raise red flags about its profitability.
The company has a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, which could indicate financial risk if not managed properly, especially in a volatile market.
Analysts have issued a consensus rating of "Hold," suggesting that many believe the stock may not be a strong buy at this time.
With a beta of 0.40, the stock is less volatile than the market, which may not appeal to investors seeking high-growth opportunities.

CNC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

: According to the research reports of 17 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Centene is $42.20, with a high forecast of $88.00 and a low forecast of $28.00.
: 17 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Centene in the last year. There is currently 1 sell rating, 13 hold ratings and 3 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" CNC shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in CNC, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.
: According to analysts, Centene's stock has a predicted upside of 43.89% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.
: Over the previous 90 days, Centene's stock had 4 downgrades by analysts.
: Centene has been rated by research analysts at Bank of America, Barclays, Cantor Fitzgerald, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Robert W. Baird, TD Cowen, Truist Financial, UBS Group, and Wells Fargo & Company in the past 90 days.
: Analysts like Centene less than other "medical" companies. The consensus rating for Centene is Hold while the average consensus rating for "medical" companies is Moderate Buy. Learn more on how CNC compares to other companies.

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This page (NYSE:CNC) was last updated on 8/23/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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Centene (CNC) Stock Forecast & Price Target