Key facts, as of
As of October 8, 2026, Centene Corporation (CNC) trades at $64.99, up 69.2% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $31.63 to $69.63; the price is 6.7% below that high. It is 34.0% below its all-time high of $98.53, reached in August 2022. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +85.5%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 22.2% above its 200-day average of $53.17, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 31.5% annualized, which we rate high risk.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Centene Corporation (CNC) stock analysis", 2026-10-08. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/cnc
Where it trades today
trading 88% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Centene Corporation (CNC) is 34.0% below its all-time high of $98.53, reached in August 2022. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +85.5%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The read on the stock is often driven by pipeline durability, reimbursement pressure, and whether new launches can offset patent cliffs.
- Recent realized volatility is running around 31.5%, above the sector norm of 22.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- Relative performance versus UNH, JNJ, PFE matters here because leadership inside healthcare rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- CNC is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside healthcare than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- The risk profile looks balanced enough for a diversified core-plus portfolio, provided the position size reflects sector concentration.
- The stock becomes more useful when paired with an explicit catalyst watchlist, because sector sentiment can shift quickly around policy, rates, or pipeline news.
What Would Change the View
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
- There is little income cushion here, so total return depends mainly on price appreciation and execution staying on track.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as UNH, JNJ, PFE start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for CNC come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Healthcare so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for CNC. Last refresh: Oct 8, 2026, 10:10 AM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
What Centene Corporation does
Centene Corporation operates as a managed care company that provides programs and services to under-insured families, and commercial organizations in the United States. It operates through four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The Medicaid segment offers the temporary assistance for needy families; medicaid expansion; aged, blind, or disabled; and children's health insurance programs, as well as long-term services and supports; foster care; and medicare-medicaid plans. This segment also provides healthcare products and services. The Medicare segment offers special needs and medicare supplement, and prescription drug plans. The Commercial segment provides health insurance…
What analysts expect
CNC carries a buy consensus from 18 analysts, with an average price target of $71.78 versus $64.99 today (+10.4%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
CNC generated $180.30B in trailing revenue (4.6% year over year), with a -2.8% net margin, and $9.64B of free cash flow, supported by $10.95B of net cash.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $194.78B | $13.87B | -$312.00M | -$6.67B | -$13.53 | $4.32B |
| 2024 | $163.07B | $16.83B | $3.19B | $3.31B | $6.33 | -$490.00M |
| 2023 | $154.00B | $17.32B | $3.46B | $2.70B | $4.97 | $7.25B |
| 2022 | $144.55B | $16.66B | $3.64B | $1.20B | $2.09 | $5.26B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
Which ETFs hold it
CNC is in 6 of the 30 ETFs we track. It weighs most in XLV: 0.50% of the fund, holding #39 of 62.
Famous investors who hold it
CNC is in the latest 13F of 2 of the 15 famous investors we follow. Renaissance Technologies (Founded by Jim Simons) holds the most of it: 0.19% of the portfolio, position #102 of 2,931, as of Q2 2026.
How it sits in healthcare
Defensive sector including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, and healthcare services.
The companies it competes with
CNC beside the healthcare names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
In an uptrend, pressing toward $69.10 resistance.
uptrend- Price is 0.4% above its 50-day average and 22.2% above its 200-day.
- RSI at 53 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $69.10 (+6.3%), the nearest floor $63.36 (-2.5%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is CNC a good investment in 2026?
Centene Corporation operates in the Healthcare sector. Check our real-time metrics above for current valuation.
What is the risk level of CNC?
Based on 30-day volatility of 31.5%, CNC has HIGH risk. Beta of 1.13 indicates higher sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does CNC pay dividends?
Centene Corporation currently does not pay a regular dividend.
How far is CNC from its all-time high?
Centene Corporation is 34.0% below its all-time high of $98.53, reached in August 2022. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +85.5%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold CNC?
6 of the 30 popular ETFs we track hold Centene Corporation. The largest weights: XLV (0.50%), VTV (0.06%), SPY (0.05%), IVV (0.05%) and VOO (0.05%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to September 24, 2026.
How much of VOO is CNC?
0.05%, as of August 31, 2026: CNC is holding #310 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $0.46 in Centene Corporation.
Which famous investors own CNC?
Renaissance Technologies (0.19% of Founded by Jim Simons's 13F) and Ray Dalio (0.10% of Bridgewater Associates's 13F), according to their latest Form 13F filings with the SEC (Q2 2026). A 13F lists US long positions 45 days after the quarter ends, so it can be out of date.
What is the analyst price target for CNC?
The average analyst price target for Centene Corporation (CNC) is $71.78 based on 18 analyst estimates, about 10.4% above the current price of $64.99. The published range runs from $56.00 to $85.00.
How much revenue does CNC generate?
Centene Corporation reported $180.30B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 4.6% year over year. Net margin sits at -2.8%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare CNC with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.