Stock Analysis
Centene CorporationCNC
Sector: Financial Services · Industry: Hospital & Medical Service Plans
AnalystsHold27 analystsPrice is 97% of the way from the year's low to its high.
Cash covers 150% of debt · Q2 2026.
PMP Verdict
Cheap for a reason — weak fundamentals
Strengths
- Financial Health65
- Quality65
Risks
- Profitability0
- Growth20
Cheap for a reason — fundamentals remain weak.
Bull Case
- ✓Revenue CAGR 11.5% — durable top-line growth
What's happening with CNC
Profile
profitability, growth and moat lag behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation70/100 · Moderate
- P/E vs own history (n/a)10/25
- FCF yield (26.1%)25/25
- P/S (0.2x)25/25
- EV/EBIT (n/a)10/25
- Growth20/100 · Weak
- Revenue CAGR (11.5%)20/25
- Net income CAGR (n/a)0/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (n/a)0/25
- Fwd implied growth (n/a)0/25
- Profitability0/100 · Weak
- ROIC (-30.5%)0/25
- ROE (-22.5%)0/25
- Net margin (-2.5%)0/25
- Operating margin (-2.8%)0/25
- Financial Health65/100 · Moderate
- Altman Z (1.56)10/25
- Current ratio (1.12)12/25
- Interest coverage (6.2x)18/25
- Net cash / debt (Net cash)25/25
- Quality65/100 · Moderate
- Piotroski F (6/9)15/25
- Beneish M (-3.19)25/25
- FCF conversion (-176%)0/25
- Margin stability (σ 1.4%)25/25
- Moat48/100 · Weak
- ROIC >12% years (2/10 yrs)0/25
- Median gross margin (96.4%)25/25
- FCF-positive years (9/10 yrs)18/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst -3.4%)5/25
Risk Flags
- ⚠Altman Z 1.6 — distress-zone balance sheet
About Centene Corporation
Centene is a managed care organization that focuses on government-sponsored healthcare plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the individual exchanges. Show more
Centene served 20 million medical members as of December 2025, mostly in Medicaid (about 64% of membership), the individual exchanges (about 28%), and Medicare (about 5%). The company also provides Medicare Part D pharmaceutical plans.
Headquarters: ST LOUIS, MO · Employees: 61,100 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
70B+P/E (TTM)—
Price / TTM EPS (own statements)
P/FCF4.0xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative
FCF Yield26.1%A
Grade A: ValueTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: 0.6%–43.8% · 92nd pct
P/S (TTM)0.17xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 0.1x–0.4x · 24th pct
EV/EBITDA8.5xA
Grade A: CheapEnterprise value / EBITDA (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral
EV/Sales0.1xA
Grade A: CheapEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E14.2xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio1.51xA
Grade A: FairPrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio—
Finnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield—
TTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio—
Dividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Profitability
0EROIC-30.5%D
Grade D: LowNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE-22.5%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA-6.3%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin-2.5%D
Grade D: LowNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin-2.8%D
Grade D: LowTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin98.6%A
Grade A: PremiumGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin4.4%D
Grade D: LowFCF / Revenue
True FCF Margin4.3%D
Grade D: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost
Growth
20ERevenue CAGR11.5%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR—
Compound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)—
Compound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth—
Analyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)-16.2%A
Grade A: BuybacksShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income—
Stock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue0.1%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
65BAltman Z-Score1.56D
Grade D: DistressBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio1.12xC
Grade C: OkCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio1.12xA
Grade A: High(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage6.2xC
Grade C: OkEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt RepaymentNet CashA
Grade A: FastYears to repay net debt via FCF
Net Debt/EBIT1.4xA
Grade A: LowLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity0.71xA
Grade A: LowDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt1.50xA
Grade A: CoveredCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
65BPiotroski F-Score6/9C
Grade C: AverageFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-3.19A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion-175.5%D
Grade D: PoorFCF / Net Income
Margin Stability1.4%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue0.4%A
Grade A: Asset-lightTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover2.43xA
Grade A: HighRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 recordsP/S codes are the directional signal; grants, option exercises and tax withholding carry none. Form 4 doesn't flag 10b5-1 plans — scheduled sales may appear within open-market sells.
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Carson Michael A Filed | Carson Michael A | Tax withholding | -7130 | |
PIENKOS THEODORE J Filed | PIENKOS THEODORE J | Tax withholding | -1092 | |
KOSTER CHRISTOPHER Filed | KOSTER CHRISTOPHER | SellOpen market sale | -56500 | |
KOSTER CHRISTOPHER Filed | KOSTER CHRISTOPHER | SellOpen market sale | -47603 | |
DIAZ PAUL J Filed | DIAZ PAUL J | Grant / award | +2.8K |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tyler Lauren M Filed | Tyler Lauren M | Grant / award | +3.2K | |
Tyler Lauren M Filed | Tyler Lauren M | Grant / award | +61 | |
TANJI KENNETH Filed | TANJI KENNETH | Grant / award | +581 |
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
48D+ROIC >12% Years2/10 yrsD
Grade D: WeakShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)96.4%A
Grade A: DurableMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years9/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor-3.4%D
Grade D: WeakWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)—
TTM net income per share (Finnhub fallback)
Cash / Share$48.08
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$45.67
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$16.11B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$24.15B
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$-8.05BA
Grade A: Net CashTotal Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$22.66B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability—
Total Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$34.28B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta1.09B
Grade B: MarketPrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Jun 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Centene Corporation (CNC)
CNC is down 1.91% at the last close. Piotroski F-Score of 6/9 indicates mixed fundamentals for Centene Corporation. Altman Z-Score of 1.56 is below the 1.81 distress threshold — an elevated financial-risk flag. Beneish M-Score of -3.19 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Company is effectively debt-free after netting cash.
- Centene Corporation posted a net loss in 1 of 10 available completed fiscal years (2016–2025).
- At a valuation score of 70/100, CNC trades near the cheapest end of its own historical range.
See how CNC ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Recent Market Moves
See all CNC moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2 | After-hours | 63.40 | +3.95% | 2.20 |
Frequently Asked Questions about CNC
What is the current Centene Corporation (CNC) stock price?
CNC is trading at $69.16 at the last market close, down 1.91% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks CNC pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is CNC stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Centene Corporation's financial health at 65/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is CNC stock overvalued?
Centene Corporation trades at a trailing P/E of n/a and our valuation score rates it 70/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Centene Corporation report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for CNC. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Centene Corporation operate in?
Centene Corporation operates in the Financial Services sector, within the Hospital & Medical Service Plans industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Centene Corporation do?
Centene is a managed care organization that focuses on government-sponsored healthcare plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the individual exchanges.
About Centene Corporation (CNC) Stock
Centene Corporation (CNC) is a US-listed stock operating in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Hospital & Medical Service Plans industry. As of the latest update, Centene Corporation is trading at $69.16, down 1.91% on the day with a market capitalization of $34.3 billion. The financial health score for CNC is 65/100, which indicates good financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for CNC stock.
CNC Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Centene Corporation (CNC) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time CNC stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for CNC with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Centene Corporation across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 65/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for CNC.
- Sector peers: Compare CNC against 6 other financial services stocks on key financial metrics.
Is CNC a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Centene Corporation (CNC) as an investment. The financial health score of 65/100 suggests good financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Centene Corporation (CNC) trades on NYSE. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.