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Centene (CNC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Centene logo
$69.36 +0.50 (+0.73%)
As of 12:04 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Centene - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
2
Hold
10
Buy
9

Based on 21 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 21 analysts, 2 have given a sell rating, 10 have given a hold rating, and 9 have given a buy rating for CNC.

Consensus Price Target

$70.05
0.99% Upside
According to the 21 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Centene, the average price target is $70.05. The highest price target for CNC is $80.00, while the lowest price target for CNC is $40.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 0.99% from the current price of $69.36.
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.
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CNC Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/14/25 to 10/14/26
1 Month Ago
9/14/25 to 9/14/26
3 Months Ago
7/16/25 to 7/16/26
1 Year Ago
10/14/24 to 10/14/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
9 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
Hold
10 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
11 Hold rating(s)
13 Hold rating(s)
Sell
2 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
3 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$70.05$70.05$64.61$39.31
Forecasted Upside0.99% Upside0.82% Upside1.20% Upside7.93% Upside
Consensus RatingHoldHoldHoldHold

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.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

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.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Centene Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCenteneHealthcare CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.33
2.32
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside1.69% Upside1,079.33% Upside19.09% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CNC News
Positive News
Positive News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/9/2026
Cantor Fitzgerald logo
Cantor Fitzgerald
5 of 5 stars
Sarah James
Sarah James
3 of 5 stars
Reiterated RatingOverweight
10/8/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
3 of 5 stars
 UpgradeSell (D) ➝ Sell (D+)
10/5/2026
Zacks Research logo
Zacks Research
4 of 5 stars
 DowngradeStrong-Buy ➝ Hold
9/11/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy
8/18/2026Set Target$79.00+20.78%
8/11/2026UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$80.00+20.28%
8/4/2026Boost TargetNeutral$60.00 ➝ $67.00+4.48%
8/3/2026 Set Target$79.00+26.95%
8/3/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform$68.00 ➝ $79.00+26.95%
7/29/2026Set Target$66.00+7.20%
7/29/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$75.00 ➝ $80.00+24.75%
7/29/2026Boost TargetNeutral$46.00 ➝ $66.00+2.92%
7/14/2026Reiterated RatingHold$47.00 ➝ $65.00-5.62%
7/14/2026Boost TargetBuy$71.00 ➝ $78.00+13.38%
7/13/2026Set TargetEqual Weight$56.00 ➝ $69.00+1.17%
7/9/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$70.00 ➝ $71.00+6.05%
7/7/2026Set Target$75.00+12.44%
6/8/2026Set TargetNeutral$58.00 ➝ $63.00+0.47%
6/4/2026Boost TargetBuy$72.00 ➝ $74.00+18.12%
5/27/2026Boost TargetOutperform$58.00 ➝ $67.00+12.22%
5/20/2026UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$53.00 ➝ $80.00+35.20%
4/29/2026 Reiterated RatingSell$40.00-19.07%
4/29/2026Boost TargetHold$39.00 ➝ $48.00-2.88%
4/29/2025Reiterated RatingNeutral
12/13/2024 Lower TargetEqual Weight$75.00 ➝ $73.00+22.09%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Wednesday at 11:57 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 Thursday, October 8, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Centene pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Centene
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

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

  • Centene Co. recently demonstrated strong financial performance by reporting an earnings per share of $2.51 for the quarter ended July 27, 2026, which significantly exceeded the analyst consensus estimate of $1.09, indicating a substantial beat that often signals improved operational efficiency and profitability to the market.
  • The company's stock is currently trading at $64.49, which is below the average analyst price target of $70.05, suggesting that the stock may be undervalued relative to Wall Street's expectations for its future growth and earnings potential.
  • Centene Co. is expanding its primary care access through a new partnership with Marathon Health, which will provide eligible members in Indiana and Missouri with $0 primary care visits, lab services, and virtual care beginning in 2027, potentially enhancing member retention and reducing long-term healthcare costs.
  • The company has a favorable valuation profile with a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.52, which is relatively low for a healthcare provider, and analysts have noted that improving Medicaid margins and stronger Marketplace profitability support this valuation, making it an attractive option for value-oriented investors.
  • Centene Co. has been narrowing its Medicare Advantage footprint to focus on dual eligibles, a strategic move that aims to improve plan economics and profitability by targeting a more stable and predictable membership segment, which could lead to better long-term financial performance.

Centene
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • Zacks Research recently downgraded Centene Co. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating, reflecting concerns about the sustainability of its earnings recovery and the potential for future earnings dips, as analysts anticipate a double-digit profit decline in the upcoming quarter.
  • The company is facing elevated costs in its Medicare Advantage segment, which has pressured plan economics and led to a narrowing of its 2027 footprint, indicating that cost management remains a significant challenge that could impact future profitability and growth prospects.
  • Centene Co. has a high short interest, with 14,134,355 shares shorted as of September 15, 2026, representing 2.87% of the float, which suggests that a significant portion of investors are betting against the stock, potentially leading to increased volatility and downward price pressure.
  • The company's debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71 indicates a moderate level of leverage, which could limit its financial flexibility in a rising interest rate environment or during periods of economic uncertainty, potentially affecting its ability to invest in growth initiatives or weather financial downturns.
  • Centene Co. has a negative net margin of 2.51% for the most recent quarter, which, despite the earnings beat, suggests that the company is still struggling to convert its revenue into profit, raising concerns about its overall profitability and operational efficiency.

CNC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 21 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Centene is $70.05, with a high forecast of $80.00 and a low forecast of $40.00.

21 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Centene in the last year. There are currently 2 sell ratings, 10 hold ratings and 9 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 0.99% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Centene's stock had 3 upgrades and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Centene more than other "healthcare" companies. The consensus rating score for Centene is 2.33 while the average consensus rating score for "healthcare" companies is 2.32. Learn more on how CNC compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Centene analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 10/9/2026.
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