Centene Corp (CNC) Stock Forecast Oct. 16, 2026
Analysis updated on Oct. 16, 2026 (UTC) · Alpha · vs marketSwitch to Total · NYSE
Centene Corp (CNC) stock forecast summary
On Oct. 16, 2026, CNC is rated Neutral: its 90-day Alpha forecast sits in the middle 30% of the 5172 stocks scored that day.
Centene Corp is a large-cap company with a market capitalization of $34.16B. It ranks number 5 by market capitalization among the 10 Hospital & Medical Service Plans issuers in our coverage with a current forecast. Its P/B Ratio of 1.51x is the lowest of the 10 peers that report one. Its ROE of -22.6% is the lowest of the 8 peers that report one.
For CNC, the Spearman rank correlation between our 90-day forecasts and the returns that followed is 68.0%, measured on 357 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-07-17 on this stock's own recent history. A rank correlation runs from -100% to +100%: it measures whether higher forecasts were followed by higher returns, and a value near zero or below means the model has shown little skill on this stock. On the 30-day forecasts the same correlation is 36.0%, measured on 400 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-09-16. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4495 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-07-07 produced a positive net return in 82.5% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
Expected return relative to the market over the horizon: a positive alpha means the model expects the stock to beat the market, whatever the market does. Ratings: strong buy ≥ +1.8%, buy ≥ +0.2%, sell < -0.9%, strong sell < -1.2% (top 15%, next 20%, middle 30%, next 20%, bottom 15% of the 2026-10-16 signals)
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How CNC ranks among 5172 stocks
90D Alpha forecasts of every company scored, cut into five relative ratings at the 15th, 35th, 65th and 85th percentiles (dashed lines).
Centene Corp (CNC) fundamentals
Trailing twelve months. The industry median and the rank (1 = highest) are taken over the Hospital & Medical Service Plans peers listed below that report each metric.
Valuation & Market
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $34.16B | 5/10 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.51x | 10/10 |
| EPS | $-10.35 | – |
| Book Value/Share | $45.67 | – |
| Revenue/Share | $410.81 | – |
| FCF/Share | $18.12 | – |
Profitability & Margins
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| ROE | -22.6% | 8/8 |
| ROA | -6.1% | 8/8 |
| ROIC | -13.3% | 10/10 |
| Gross Margin | 98.6% | 1/6 |
| Operating Margin | -2.8% | 10/10 |
| Net Margin | -2.5% | 8/8 |
| EBT Margin | -2.3% | 10/10 |
| Tax Rate | -10.2% | – |
Financial Health
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.15x | 7/10 |
| D/E Ratio | 2.68x | 4/10 |
| Financial Leverage | 3.68x | 5/10 |
| Interest Coverage | 7.7x | 4/9 |
| Working Capital | $5.93B | 3/10 |
Cash Flow
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $9.75B | 3/10 |
| Free Cash Flow | $8.95B | 2/9 |
| Capital Spending | -$798M | 7/9 |
| OCF Growth YoY | 463.5% | 1/9 |
| FCF Growth YoY | 728.8% | 1/8 |
| FCF/Sales | 4.4% | 4/9 |
| CapEx/Sales | 0.4% | 6/9 |
Operational Efficiency
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Turnover | 2.44x | 5/10 |
| Fixed Assets Turnover | 95.3x | 4/10 |
Income Statement
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $202.94B | 3/10 |
| Operating Income | -$5.64B | 10/10 |
| Net Income | -$5.10B | 8/8 |
| SG&A Expense | $13.02B | 5/8 |
| Cost of Goods Sold | $2.76B | 5/6 |
Dividend & Shareholder Information
| Metric | CNC | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Shares Outstanding | 494M | – |
| Net Income Growth | -348.3% | 7/7 |
| EPS Growth | -351.8% | 7/7 |
Balance Sheet Highlights (USD millions)
| Total Current Assets | $46.69B | 56.2% of assets |
| Cash & Short-term Investments | $24.15B | 29.1% of assets |
| Total Liabilities | $60.35B | 72.7% of assets |
CNC quarterly financials and insider trading
Centene Corp (CNC) industry peers
Companies classified under the same SEC industry code as Centene Corp (Hospital & Medical Service Plans): 10 common-stock issuers with a forecast this week, one row per issuer, largest first. This is a classification match, not a curated list of competitors.
Reveal all forecasts · See exact % predictions for all competitors
Sign up free| Company | 90-Day AI Forecast (Alpha) | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|
| CNC Centene Corp | ▶ | $34.16B |
| UNH Unitedhealth Group Inc | ▲ | $360.32B |
| ELV Elevance Health, Inc. | ▶ | $92.88B |
| CI Cigna Group | ▶ | $79.88B |
| HUM Humana Inc | ▲ | $49.70B |
| MOH Molina Healthcare, Inc. | ▲ | $10.82B |
| OSCR Oscar Health, Inc. | ▲ | $9.84B |
| CLOV Clover Health Investments, Corp. /De | ▲ | $2.38B |
| ALHC Alignment Healthcare, Inc. | ▲ | $1.72B |
| TRUP Trupanion, Inc. | ▼ | $1.23B |
Where CNC sits on the market map
Centene Corp (CNC) stock news
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Centene Corp (CNC) stock forecast FAQ
What is the Centene Corp (CNC) stock forecast?
On Oct. 16, 2026, CNC is rated Neutral: its 90-day Alpha forecast sits in the middle 30% of the 5172 stocks scored that day.
How accurate are Centene Corp stock predictions?
For CNC, the Spearman rank correlation between our 90-day forecasts and the returns that followed is 68.0%, measured on 357 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-07-17 on this stock's own recent history. A rank correlation runs from -100% to +100%: it measures whether higher forecasts were followed by higher returns, and a value near zero or below means the model has shown little skill on this stock. On the 30-day forecasts the same correlation is 36.0%, measured on 400 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-09-16. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4495 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-07-07 produced a positive net return in 82.5% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
How often are Centene Corp forecasts updated?
Centene Corp forecasts are refreshed on trading days as the daily model run completes. The forecast on this page was produced on Oct. 16, 2026.
Which companies are Centene Corp's industry peers?
10 issuers in our coverage, CNC included, share the SEC industry code Hospital & Medical Service Plans. The largest are: Unitedhealth Group Inc (UNH), Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV), Cigna Group (CI), Humana Inc (HUM), Molina Healthcare, Inc. (MOH), Oscar Health, Inc. (OSCR).
This analysis is generated automatically using our proprietary AI systems and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research and consider consulting a financial advisor before making investment decisions.