Centene Corporation (CNC)
Centene is a major American healthcare company that specialises in providing government-sponsored insurance programmes for lower-income individuals and families.
Is Centene Corporation a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong position in the government-sponsored insurance market. Worth weighing: Very thin profit margins make the business sensitive to cost spikes.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Centene Corporation do?
Centene acts as a middleman between the government and patients, managing health insurance plans for those on Medicaid and Medicare. Its profits come from collecting premiums from the government and paying out the costs of medical care for their members. A lot rides on how well they manage these medical costs, since even small changes in what they pay out for treatments can have a big impact on overall profit.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and momentum, and weakest on income.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 5% over the year
- Value screens high
- Momentum screens high
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
- Income screens low
Does Centene Corporation pay a dividend?
No - Centene Corporation doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does Centene Corporation have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $27.06B in cash against about $16.10B of debt - so it has net cash of about $10.95B. More cash than debt is a cushion: it does not need to borrow just to cover what it owes.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Centene Corporation's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Centene Corporation actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Centene Corporation fell as much as −69% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Centene Corporation make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Centene Corporation report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Centene Corporation is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-27 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-28 | $1.08 | $2.51 | Beat +133% |
| 2026-04-28 | $2.13 | $3.37 | Beat +58% |
| 2026-02-06 | $-1.22 | $-1.19 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-10-29 | $-0.16 | $0.50 | Beat +404% |
| 2025-07-25 | $0.21 | $-0.16 | Missed -177% |
| 2025-04-25 | $2.52 | $2.90 | Beat +15% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Centene Corporation came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Centene Corporation?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Expansion into new states and broader healthcare services.
Major legislative overhaul of the US healthcare system.
What are the pros and cons of Centene Corporation?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong position in the government-sponsored insurance market
- Consistent revenue growth: How fast the company's sales grew versus a year ago. over time
- Essential service nature provides a level of stability
- Very thin profit margins make the business sensitive to cost spikes
- Currently reporting negative returns on equity
- No dividend payments for income-focused investors
- Heavy reliance on government funding and policy decisions
- Rising medical costs can quickly erode profitability
- Intense competition from other large insurance providers
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major change in US healthcare law that removes the need for private insurers
- A sustained period of profitability that turns the negative net margin positive
Common questions about Centene Corporation
Does Centene Corporation pay a dividend?
No - Centene Corporation does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does Centene Corporation report earnings next?
Centene Corporation is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-27. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.