Looking back on health insurance providers stocks’ Q1 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including Centene (NYSE: CNC) and its peers.

Upfront premiums collected by health insurers lead to reliable revenue, but profitability ultimately depends on accurate risk assessments and the ability to control medical costs. Health insurers are also highly sensitive to regulatory changes and economic conditions such as unemployment. Going forward, the industry faces tailwinds from an aging population, increasing demand for personalized healthcare services, and advancements in data analytics to improve cost management. However, continued regulatory scrutiny on pricing practices, the potential for government-led reforms such as expanded public healthcare options, and inflation in medical costs could add volatility to margins. One big debate among investors is the long-term impact of AI and whether it will help underwriting, fraud detection, and claims processing or whether it may wade into ethical grey areas like reinforcing biases and widening disparities in medical care.

The 12 health insurance providers stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.4% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Luckily, health insurance providers stocks have performed well with share prices up 42.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Centene (NYSE: CNC)

Serving nearly 1 in 15 Americans through its government healthcare programs, Centene (NYSE: CNC) is a healthcare company that manages government-sponsored health insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare for low-income and complex-needs populations.

Centene reported revenues of $49.94 billion, up 7.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 6.2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

"We continue to make tangible progress in our margin recovery efforts while strengthening the fundamental operations of each of our businesses," said Chief Executive Officer of Centene, Sarah M. London.

Interestingly, the stock is up 56.2% since reporting and currently trades at $67.96.

Is now the time to buy Centene? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: CVS Health (NYSE: CVS)

With over 9,000 retail pharmacy locations serving as neighborhood health destinations across America, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) operates retail pharmacies, provides pharmacy benefit management services, and offers health insurance through its Aetna subsidiary.

CVS Health reported revenues of $100.4 billion, up 6.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

CVS Health pulled off the biggest analyst estimate beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 29.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $104.52.

Is now the time to buy CVS Health? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Cencora (NYSE: COR)

Formerly known as AmerisourceBergen until its 2023 rebranding, Cencora (NYSE: COR) is a global pharmaceutical distribution company that connects manufacturers with healthcare providers while offering logistics, data analytics, and consulting services.

Cencora reported revenues of $78.36 billion, up 3.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.9%. It was a slower quarter, leaving some shareholders looking for more.

As expected, the stock is down 3.1% since the results and currently trades at $296.51.

Read our full analysis of Cencora’s results here.

Clover Health (NASDAQ: CLOV)

Founded in 2014 to improve healthcare for America's seniors through technology, Clover Health (NASDAQ: CLOV) provides Medicare Advantage plans for seniors with a focus on affordable care and uses its proprietary Clover Assistant software to help physicians manage patient care.

Clover Health reported revenues of $749.2 million, up 62% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced full-year EBITDA guidance beating analysts’ expectations and EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

Clover Health pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The company added 41,970 customers to reach a total of 155,773. The stock is up 97% since reporting and currently trades at $5.28.

Read our full, actionable report on Clover Health here, it’s free.

Progyny (NASDAQ: PGNY)

Pioneering a data-driven approach to family building that has achieved an industry-leading patient satisfaction score of +80, Progyny (NASDAQ: PGNY) provides comprehensive fertility and family building benefits solutions to employers, helping employees access quality fertility treatments and support services.

Progyny reported revenues of $328.5 million, up 1.4% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded EBITDA guidance for next quarter beating analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Progyny delivered the highest guidance raise and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is up 60% since reporting and currently trades at $30.67.

Read our full, actionable report on Progyny here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.