CNC
Strong BuySecond WindAI neutralCentene Corporation · Healthcare · United States · $34.7B cap · $313.3M/day traded
$67.48 +1.4% · close 3 Nov · scored 4 Nov
Second Wind: Cheap with strong momentum, but the business does not earn the optimism.
Reported 27 Oct: the next-year EPS estimate rose 3.1% across the report (snapshots of 25 Oct and 1 Nov).
As of 4 Nov 2026, MoatMap's StockRank for Centene Corporation (CNC) is 94/100, ranked against 24,000+ stocks in 35 markets (Quality 49, Value 72, Momentum 77, each scored against its sector).
Does StockRank work? Each month we publish how each tenth of the ranking did, whichever way it went. See the record →
Centene is the largest US Medicaid and ACA exchange health insurer. The shares screen cheaply after a severe derating on medical cost pressure, exchange risk-adjustment shocks and uncertainty over enhanced ACA subsidies, and the company is buying back stock. The recovery depends on state Medicaid rate increases and exchange repricing, which is a margin-repair story rather than a proven compounder, and a small amount of insider selling adds nothing supportive.
ABOUT CENTENE CORPORATION
Read
Centene Corporation is a prominent diversified healthcare enterprise specializing in government-sponsored healthcare programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Its competitive moat derives from its vast scale, deep expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments, and efficient management of care for underserved populations. Centene is a market leader in the U.S. managed care sector, particularly within the Medicaid segment.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)
| Year | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | CAGR | TTM | 2026E | 2027E | Fwd CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 144.5B | 154.0B | 163.1B | 194.8B | 10.5% | 180.4B | 199.9B | 195.1B | 0.1% |
| EPS | 2.09 | 4.97 | 6.33 | -13.53 | 74.0% | 2.91 | 5.29 | 5.54 | -4.4% |
| Shares | 550.8M | 534.5M | 495.9M | 491.8M | -10.7% | 495.1M | — | — | — |
| Debt | 21.3B | 18.9B | 19.4B | 18.2B | -5.2% | 15.5B | — | — | — |
| Equity | 24.1B | 25.8B | 26.4B | 20.0B | -6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Op CF | 6.3B | 8.1B | 154.0M | 5.1B | -6.7% | 4.7B | — | — | — |
| Inv CF | -2.9B | -1.2B | -1.1B | 472.0M | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fin CF | -4.2B | -1.7B | -2.4B | -1.6B | — | — | — | — | — |
Above its 200-day average and 7% below its 52-week high.
Swung more than 55% of stocks we rank over the past year (volatility 45% a year).
How this is worked out
StockRank weighs the business, its price and its trend. The price check reads only the chart: the price side of the Momentum score, in words.
The rules: Still falling is a new 52-week low in the last two weeks, at least 25% below the high. Finding a floor is no new low since. Turning up is 20 or more trading days without a new low, at least 10% off it, and back above a rising 50-day average. In an uptrend is above the 200-day average and within 15% of the high.
In 2,112 US drawdowns since 2001, buying while the price was still falling was followed by a further 20% drop 42% of the time. Waiting for a turn (the Turning up rule above) cut that to 33%, at about 7% higher prices and with no better returns. Part of that cut is simply not buying: 13% of falls never turned, and waiting kept those out. Among turns that were bought, 38% still fell another 20%, and 33% of turns were followed by a new low within six months. The benefit was largest in crashes such as 2008 and 2020.
What it measures: how much the price moved day to day over the past year, scaled to a yearly figure (annualised volatility) and ranked against every stock we cover. Very calm under 20% a year, Calm 20 to 30%, Average 30 to 40%, Bumpy 40 to 55%, Very bumpy above that.
What we found: across about 13,500 stocks in 34 markets (2002 to 2025), past swings were a good guide to the next year's, and bumpier stocks fell further. How much further changed too much between eras to put a number on it.
Calm is not safe: a calm stock can still slide steadily.
Rules fixed before any data was fetched. Describes the chart, not a recommendation.
SCORE BREAKDOWN
FUNDAMENTALS
SECTOR PEERS
Closest peers in Healthcare, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of CNC are excluded.
| Ticker | Company | Mkt Cap | StockRank | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC | Centene Corporation(you) | $34.7B | 94 | Strong Buy |
| HUM | Humana Inc. | $50.7B | 88 | Strong Buy |
| CI | The Cigna Group | $81.1B | 93 | Strong Buy |
| ELV | Elevance Health, Inc. | $95.4B | 93 | Strong Buy |
| CVS | CVS Health Corporation | $119.5B | 92 | Strong Buy |
| OSCR | Oscar Health, Inc. | $9.6B | 99 | Strong Buy |
| UNH | UnitedHealth Group Incorporated | $375.3B | 87 | Strong Buy |
| PGNY | Progyny, Inc. | $2.2B | 94 | Strong Buy |
| MOH | Molina Healthcare, Inc. | $10.9B | 49 | Hold |
| CLOV | Clover Health Investments, Corp. | $2.4B | 75 | Buy |
Peer medians: ROE -30.1% · P/E 27.8x · Gross margin 63.4%
Company Deep Dive
A 10,000-word report: the business and its segments, what management promised on earnings calls and whether it delivered, the competition, and how things could turn out.