Centene Corporation (CNC), headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, operates as a healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured families, and commercial organizations. Valued at $16.1 billion by market cap, the company’s specialty services include medicaid and medicare health plans, treatment compliance, and nurse triage. The largest Medicaid managed care organization is expected to announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2026 before the market opens on Tuesday, Apr. 28.
Ahead of the event, analysts expect CNC to report a profit of $1.88 per share on a diluted basis, down 35.2% from $2.90 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
For the full year, analysts expect CNC to report EPS of $3.01, up 44.7% from $2.08 in fiscal 2025. Its EPS is expected to rise 34.2% year over year to $4.04 in fiscal 2027.
CNC stock has significantly underperformed the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 16.7% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares down 43.8% during this period. Similarly, it considerably underperformed the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLV) 3.1% returns over the same time frame.
On Feb. 6, CNC shares closed down by 3.7% after reporting its Q4 results. Its adjusted losses of $1.19 per share topped Wall Street expectations of $1.25 per share. The company’s revenue was $49.7 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts of $48.2 billion. CNC expects full-year revenue in the range of $186.5 billion to $190.5 billion.
Analysts’ consensus opinion on CNC stock is cautious, with a “Hold” rating overall. Out of 20 analysts covering the stock, four advise a “Strong Buy” rating, 14 give a “Hold,” one recommends a “Moderate Sell,” and one advocates a “Strong Sell.” CNC’s average analyst price target is $43.76, indicating a potential upside of 28.9% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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