Zacks Investment Research·1 day ago
Can Centene's Fraud Prevention Strategy Support Margin Recovery?CNC expands AI-driven fraud prevention and payment integrity to improve Medicaid margins, boost cost controls and support long-term earnings growth.
Centene Corporation(CNC)Earnings, Financials & Key Ratios
CNC•NYSE
$66.12
Price updated Jul 7, 2026
AboutCentene Corporation operates as a multi-national healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured individuals in the United States. Its Managed Care segment offers health plan coverage to individuals through government subsidized programs, including Medicaid, the State children's health insurance program, long-term services and support, foster care, and medicare-medicaid plans, which cover dually eligible individuals, as well as aged, blind, or disabled programs. Its health plans include primary and specialty physician care, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, emergency and urgent care, prenatal care, laboratory and X-ray, home-based primary care, transportation assistance, vision care, dental care, telehealth, immunization, specialty pharmacy, therapy, social work, nurse advisory, and care coordination services, as well as prescriptions and limited over-the-counter drugs, medical equipment, and behavioral health and abuse services. This segment also offers various individual, small group, and large group commercial healthcare products to employers and directly to members. The company's Specialty Services segment provides pharmacy benefits management services; nurse advice line and after-hours support services; vision and dental services, as well as staffing services to correctional systems and other government agencies; and services to Military Health System eligible beneficiaries. This segment offers its services and products to state programs, correctional facilities, healthcare organizations, employer groups, and other commercial organizations. The company provides its services through primary and specialty care physicians, hospitals, and ancillary providers. Centene Corporation was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.Show more
- Revenue$194.78B+19.4%
- EBITDA-$6.34B-243.6%
- Net Income-$6.67B-301.9%
- EPS (Diluted)-13.62-315.8%
- Gross Margin12.24%+18.6%
- EBITDA Margin-3.26%-220.3%
- Operating Margin-3.91%-300.9%
- Net Margin-3.43%-269.0%
- ROE-28.66%-327.5%
CNC Price & Volume
Centene Corporation (CNC) stock price & volume — 10-year historical chart
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Centene Navigates Restructuring Amidst Margin Recovery
Investment Thesis • Updated 2026Q1
VerdictNeutral
Growth:Accelerating
Profitability:Strained
Financial:Adequate
Cash Flow:Mixed
Primary Risk:Regulatory and medical trend volatility
Key Thesis Takeaways
- Centene is currently executing a complex Value Creation Plan aimed at stabilizing its core government-sponsored healthcare operations following a period of significant earnings volatility.
- While the company has demonstrated a return to profitability with $1.5 billion in net income for 2026Q1, investors should remain cautious regarding the sustainability of these margins given the inherent sensitivity to medical loss ratio fluctuations.
- The long-term outlook depends on management's ability to maintain a disciplined cost structure while navigating the regulatory risks associated with its heavy reliance on Medicaid and government-sponsored programs.
Verdict Logic
while the company shows signs of operational stabilization with a 2026Q1 operating margin of 3.7%, the historical volatility and reliance on government reimbursement cycles warrant further evidence of consistent earnings quality.
CNC Growth Metrics
Centene Corporation (CNC) revenue, earnings & EPS growth — 3, 5 & 10-year CAGR
Revenue CAGR
10 Years23.95%
5 Years11.88%
3 Years10.45%
TTM17.02%
Profit CAGR
10 Years-
5 Years-
3 Years-
TTM-286.59%
EPS CAGR
10 Years-
5 Years-
3 Years-
TTM-295.83%
Return on Capital
10 Years5.58%
5 Years0.86%
3 Years-0.64%
Last Year-14.6%
CNC Recent Earnings
Centene Corporation (CNC) EPS & revenue vs analyst estimates — last 4 quarters
●Beat EPS 11/12 qtrs (92%)●Beat Revenue 12/12 qtrs (100%)
Q2 2026Latest
Apr 28, 2026Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$3.37+51.1%
$2.23
Rev
$49.9B+5.1%
$47.5B
Q1 2026
Feb 6, 2026Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$1.19+2.5%
$1.22
Rev
$49.7B+2.7%
$48.4B
Q4 2025
Oct 29, 2025Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$0.50+445.4%
$0.14
Rev
$49.7B+4.1%
$47.7B
Q3 2025
Jul 25, 2025Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$0.16-243.4%
$0.11
Rev
$48.7B+10.4%
$44.1B
| Quarter | Date | EPS (Act vs Est) | Revenue (Act vs Est) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026Latest | Apr 28, 2026 | $3.37vs $2.23+51.1% | $49.9Bvs $47.5B+5.1% |
| Q1 2026 | Feb 6, 2026 | $1.19vs $1.22+2.5% | $49.7Bvs $48.4B+2.7% |
| Q4 2025 | Oct 29, 2025 | $0.50vs $0.14+445.4% | $49.7Bvs $47.7B+4.1% |
| Q3 2025 | Jul 25, 2025 | $0.16vs $0.11-243.4% | $48.7Bvs $44.1B+10.4% |
Based on last 12 quarters of dataView full earnings history →
Latest CNC News
Recent stock market news and headlines for Centene Corporation (CNC)
Seeking Alpha·2 days ago
Centene: How Paperwork Disrupted An Entire SectorCentene offers a defensive shelter as the AI infrastructure market faces skepticism and volatility. ACA insurance exchanges suffered adverse selection as healthy individuals exited, leaving a sicker, costlier pool. Regulatory shifts and flawed industry algorithms led to unexpected losses for insurers unable to adjust patient mix.
Zacks Investment Research·5 days ago
Can Centene's Integrated Healthcare Model Support Earnings Growth?CNC's integrated healthcare model, AI-driven operations and improving Medicaid margins are strengthening earnings as the company raises 2026 EPS guidance.
Zacks Investment Research·Jun 29, 2026
Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 29thCLS, CBOE, and CNC it to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth stocks list on June 29, 2026.
Zacks Investment Research·Jun 25, 2026
Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 25thCBOE, CNC and CRDO made it to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth stocks list on June 25th, 2026.
Peers Comparison
Key metrics vs top competitors for Centene Corporation (CNC)
| Company | Price | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | Rev Growth (1Y) | Net Margin | ROE | Div Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $66.12 | $32.65B | -4.85 | 19.44% | -3.43% | -28.66% | — | |
| $232.90 | $12.13B | 26.11 | 11.75% | 0.42% | 4.44% | — | |
| $428.19 | $388.86B | 32.37 | 11.81% | 2.68% | 11.54% | — | |
| $418.85 | $90.96B | 16.67 | 12.62% | 2.62% | 11.92% | — | |
| $394.62 | $47.38B | 40.10 | 10.06% | 0.82% | 6.17% | — | |
| $104.33 | $133.12B | 75.06 | 7.85% | 0.72% | 3.86% | — |
Compare CNC vs Peers
Centene Corporation (CNC) vs competitors — business, growth, and fundamentals comparison against the closest industry rivals.
CNC SEC Filings & Documents
Centene Corporation (CNC) SEC filings — annual & quarterly reports (10-K, 10-Q)
8-K Announcements
6Material company update
Apr 28, 2026·SEC
Material company update
Mar 24, 2026·SEC
Material company update
Mar 10, 2026·SEC
10-K Annual Reports
210-Q Quarterly Reports
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CNC Frequently Asked Questions
Centene Corporation (CNC) stock FAQ — growth, dividends, profitability & financials explained
Growth & Financials
What is Centene Corporation's revenue?
Centene Corporation (CNC) reported $198.10B in revenue for fiscal year 2025. This represents a 89397% increase from $221.3M in 2000.
How fast is Centene Corporation growing?
Centene Corporation (CNC) grew revenue by 19.4% over the past year. This is strong growth.
Is CNC profitable?
Centene Corporation (CNC) reported a net loss of $6.44B for fiscal year 2025.
Dividend & Returns
What is CNC's return on equity?
Centene Corporation (CNC) has a return on equity (ROE) of -28.7%. Negative ROE indicates the company is unprofitable.
What is Centene Corporation's free cash flow?
Centene Corporation (CNC) generated $6.35B in free cash flow for fiscal year 2025. Positive FCF indicates the company can fund dividends, buybacks, or reinvestment.