Centene Corporation (CNC) fair value analysis
S&P 500 · Updated 2026-10-19
CNC price how computed
Forward Fair Value verdict
OvervaluedCNC is trading at a 10–25% premium to estimated fair value.
Based on TickrTrends' weekly Forward Fair Value model.
- Last price
- $65.36
- Sector
- Healthcare
- 12-month range
- $31.80–$70.51
- Market cap
- $32.3B
- From 52-week high
- -7.3%
- Shares outstanding
- 494M
- Rank in Healthcare by discount to fair value
- #106 of 108
Last price is our 2026-10-19 weekly price; the chart runs through 2026-10-16.
Centene Corporation is a managed care company that provides health insurance coverage and related services to individuals, including those enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, and marketplace plans. The company operates across the United States and serves millions of members through its various health plans and subsidiaries.
CNC currently ranks #106 of 108 Healthcare stocks by discount to fair value. It has screened as Overvalued for 4 consecutive weekly runs.
Fundamentals (4 quarters) how computed
- Market cap
- $32.3B
- P/E (trailing)
- 13x
- Revenue (TTM)
- $194B
- Net margin
- -2.6%
- EPS (TTM)
- $5.19
- Gross margin
- 10.4%
- Debt / equity
- 0.71
- Revenue growth (3-yr avg)
- 5.5%
- Shares outstanding
- 494M
Derived indicators how computed
- Quality grade
- F
- Margin trend
- Expanding
- 52-week position
- The top quarter of its range
Technicals how computed
- RSI (14-day)
- 57 · neutral
- 50-day average
- $65.39
- 200-day average
- $54.15
- Moving-average state
- 50-day above 200-day (golden cross state); price between the averages
Earnings how computed
- Next earnings report
- 2026-10-27 (pre-market)
- Last 8 quarters vs consensus
- 7 beat, 1 missed
- Quarter by quarter
- 2026-06 ▲ beat (+182.0%)
2026-03 ▲ beat (+58.2%)
2025-12 ▲ beat (+2.5%)
2025-09 ▲ beat (+412.5%)
2025-06 ▼ miss (-176.2%)
2025-03 ▲ beat (+15.1%)
2024-12 ▲ beat (+63.3%)
2024-09 ▲ beat (+14.9%)
Analyst consensus how computed
This is not TickrTrends' verdict.
- Analyst ratings
- 8 buy · 12 hold · 1 sell (21 analysts)
- Consensus lean
- Hold-leaning
- Consensus price target
- $71.8
- Target vs last price
- +9.9%
What our data shows for CNC
- Our model validated 17 trailing price-to-earnings windows for CNC, built from quarterly earnings records.
- Shares are trading in the upper third of their 12-month price range of $31.80–$70.51.
- The 14-day relative strength index sits at a neutral 57.
The exact numbers are one step away
- The precise Forward Fair Value dollar figure for CNC
- Exact discount / premium to today's price
- The normalized historical P/E behind the estimate, and how many quarters support it
- Forward EPS input and fiscal-year basis
- Screeners and rankings across the full S&P 500 and Nasdaq universes
Forward Fair Value applies a conservatively normalized historical price-to-earnings multiple to the consensus earnings estimate for the next full fiscal year; how TickrTrends computes it.
Recent CNC news
TickrTrends' derived news-sentiment signal for CNC is currently mixed, computed from recent coverage.
- Centene: The Turnaround Has More Room To Run (NYSE:CNC) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-10-15)
TickrTrends take: Centene operates in the Healthcare sector and is currently assessed as overvalued according to TickrTrends valuation metrics. The headline suggests ongoing operational improvements at the company, which creates a potential disconnect between market performance narratives and the current valuation assessment that indicates prices may not reflect fundamental value. Investors focused on valuation should monitor whether continued turnaround execution can justify the existing price level or whether the overvalued designation signals limited upside from current levels. - Centene Remains A Buy Heading Into Q3 (NYSE:CNC) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-10-15)
TickrTrends take: CNC is currently rated as overvalued by TickrTrends despite analyst commentary suggesting continued buying interest ahead of the third quarter. For a valuation-conscious investor, this divergence between positive sentiment and the overvalued rating warrants attention to whether upcoming quarterly results will justify the current price or support the overvalued assessment. Given CNC operates in the competitive Healthcare sector, monitoring whether the company can demonstrate operational improvements or margin expansion becomes critical to understanding whether valuation multiples should contract or if the stock's price momentum might narrow the gap between market pricing and intrinsic value. - Centene Q3 2026 Preview: The Quarter Is Easy, The 2027 Bridge Is Not (NYSE:CNC) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-10-10)
TickrTrends take: Centene faces a valuation challenge where near-term operational ease masks underlying concerns about 2027 performance, which aligns with TickrTrends' overvalued assessment for the Healthcare sector name. The disconnect between manageable Q3 results and acknowledged difficulties in bridging to 2027 suggests the market may be underweighting execution risks that could pressure earnings sustainability. Valuation-focused investors should scrutinize management's 2027 guidance credibility and whether current pricing adequately reflects potential margin pressures or operational headwinds the company itself appears to anticipate.
More CNC news
- Centene Corporation (CNC) Jumped on Beat-and-Raise Earnings Quarter (insidermonkey.com, 2026-10-01)
- Centene Corp. (CNC) Soared 98.8% in Q2: What Drove the Massive Gain? (finance.yahoo.com, 2026-09-21)
What people are saying
Follow the CNC conversation: Stocktwits · Reddit · X
TickrTrends weekly updates
- 2026-10-19 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-12 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-11 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-10 — TickrTrends' derived indicators for CNC showed a significant shift this week, with the valuation verdict moving from Fairly valued to Overvalued. This change suggests that according to TickrTrends' assessment metrics, CNC's current price has moved above levels considered justified by underlying fundamentals for the Healthcare sector.
- 2026-10-06 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-28 — TickrTrends' derived indicators for CNC showed movement this week, with the sector discount rank improving from position 96 to position 91 among healthcare companies. Despite this positive shift in relative valuation positioning, the current valuation verdict remains overvalued according to TickrTrends' assessment.
- 2026-09-21 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-17 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
Frequently asked questions
Is CNC stock undervalued?
Based on TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value model (updated 2026-10-19), CNC is trading at a 10–25% premium to estimated fair value and screens as overvalued. The exact fair value and discount are available to subscribers.
What is CNC's TickrTrends verdict?
CNC's current verdict is Overvalued, refreshed with every weekly Forward Fair Value run.
How does CNC compare to other Healthcare stocks?
CNC ranks #106 of 108 Healthcare stocks in TickrTrends' coverage by discount to fair value.
Is CNC overbought or oversold?
CNC's 14-day RSI is in neutral territory - neither overbought nor oversold.
When does CNC report earnings next?
CNC's next earnings report is scheduled for 2026-10-27 (pre-market), per the published earnings calendar.
Does CNC usually beat earnings estimates?
Over its last 8 reported quarters CNC beat the consensus estimate 7 times and missed 1 times, by TickrTrends' comparison of reported and estimated EPS.
What do analysts say about CNC?
Of 21 analysts covering CNC, 8 rate it a buy, 12 a hold and 1 a sell - hold-leaning, with a consensus price target of $71.8 (+9.9% versus TickrTrends' last price). This is the analyst consensus, not TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value verdict.
More in Healthcare
Head-to-head comparisons
CNC vs ABBV · CNC vs ACAD · CNC vs BIIB · CNC vs BIO · CNC vs BMY