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Centene (CNC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

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$60.91 +0.08 (+0.13%)
(As of 12/26/2024 05:45 PM ET)

Centene - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
4
Buy
9

Based on 14 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Centene in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 14 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 4 have given a hold rating, and 9 have given a buy rating for CNC.

Consensus Price Target

$80.92
32.86% Upside
According to the 14 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Centene, the average price target is $80.92. The highest price target for CNC is $93.00, while the lowest price target for CNC is $52.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 32.86% from the current price of $60.91.
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CNC Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
12/28/23 to 12/27/24
1 Month Ago
11/28/23 to 11/27/24
3 Months Ago
9/29/23 to 9/28/24
1 Year Ago
12/28/22 to 12/28/23
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
9 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
Hold
4 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$80.92$83.92$85.58$84.00
Forecasted Upside32.86% Upside40.06% Upside14.75% Upside13.68% Upside
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy
Hold
Hold

CNC Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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CNC Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
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Centene Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCenteneMedical CompaniesS&P 500
Consensus Rating Score
2.57
2.81
2.51
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy
Predicted Upside32.86% Upside25,716.25% Upside13.32% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CNC News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalyst NameActionRatingPrice TargetUpside/Downside on Report DateDetails
12/17/2024JPMorgan Chase & Co.
3 of 5 stars
 Reiterated RatingNeutral ➝ Overweight$80.00 ➝ $75.00+26.75%
12/13/2024Stephens
4 of 5 stars
 Lower TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$75.00 ➝ $73.00+22.09%
12/13/2024Barclays
3 of 5 stars
 Boost TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$91.00 ➝ $93.00+57.71%
12/13/2024Truist Financial
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 Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$89.00 ➝ $84.00+42.45%
12/13/2024Oppenheimer
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 Lower TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$95.00 ➝ $85.00+46.55%
12/13/2024UBS Group
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K. Caliendo
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UpgradeNeutral ➝ Buy$79.00 ➝ $80.00+37.93%
12/11/2024Cantor Fitzgerald
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 Reiterated RatingOverweight ➝ Overweight$90.00 ➝ $90.00+63.07%
12/10/2024Jefferies Financial Group
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 DowngradeHold ➝ Underperform$68.00 ➝ $52.00-11.13%
11/4/2024Wells Fargo & Company
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 Lower TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$91.00 ➝ $90.00+41.07%
10/30/2024Sanford C. Bernstein
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 Lower TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$96.00 ➝ $88.00+42.19%
10/25/2024Robert W. Baird
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 Lower TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$83.00 ➝ $66.00+7.14%
8/2/2024Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft
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 Boost TargetHold ➝ Hold$82.00 ➝ $87.00+11.80%
7/31/2024TD Cowen
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 Boost TargetBuy ➝ Buy$80.00 ➝ $89.00+14.68%
5/30/2024Baird R W
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M. Ha
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UpgradeHold
9/5/2023Bank of America
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 UpgradeUnderperform ➝ Neutral$79.00 ➝ $72.00+17.51%
8/30/2023Morgan Stanley
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 DowngradeOverweight ➝ Equal Weight$94.00 ➝ $73.00+13.28%
7/12/2023Wolfe Research
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 DowngradeOutperform ➝ Peer Perform
7/11/2023Mizuho
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 Lower Target$80.00 ➝ $76.00+12.91%
4/26/2023Credit Suisse Group
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 Lower Target$94.00 ➝ $87.00+25.56%
2/14/2023Cowen
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 Lower TargetOutperform$101.00 ➝ $97.00+32.73%
2/8/2023The Goldman Sachs Group
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 Lower TargetNeutral$97.00 ➝ $74.00+2.91%
2/8/2023Loop Capital
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 Lower Target$110.00 ➝ $95.00+33.84%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 07:44 AM ET.


Should I Buy Centene Stock? CNC Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Please send any questions or comments about these Centene pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Centene
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Centene Co.:

  • Recent insider buying activity, including a significant purchase by the CFO of 17,200 shares at an average price of $58.14, indicates confidence in the company's future performance.
  • The stock is currently trading at approximately $56.76, which is near its 12-month low of $56.44, potentially offering a buying opportunity for investors looking for value.
  • Centene Co. has a strong market presence in the healthcare sector, providing essential services to under-insured and uninsured families, which can lead to stable revenue streams.
  • Institutional ownership is high at 93.63%, suggesting that many professional investors have confidence in the company's prospects.
  • The company has a relatively low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, indicating a manageable level of debt compared to its equity, which can be a positive sign for financial stability.

Centene
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Centene Co. for these reasons:

  • Recent price target reductions by analysts, including a drop from $83.00 to $66.00, may indicate a bearish outlook on the stock's future performance.
  • The stock has experienced significant volatility, with a 12-month high of $81.42, suggesting potential risks for investors if the price continues to fluctuate.
  • Despite recent insider purchases, the overall market sentiment appears cautious, with several analysts issuing hold ratings, which may limit upside potential.
  • Centene Co. operates in a highly regulated industry, and changes in healthcare policies could adversely affect its business operations and profitability.
  • The company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.85, while low, may reflect underlying concerns about future growth prospects compared to its peers.

CNC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 14 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Centene is $80.92, with a high forecast of $93.00 and a low forecast of $52.00.

14 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Centene in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating, 4 hold ratings and 9 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" CNC shares.

According to analysts, Centene's stock has a predicted upside of 32.86% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Centene's stock had 1 upgrade and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Centene less than other "medical" companies. The consensus rating score for Centene is 2.57 while the average consensus rating score for "medical" companies is 2.81. Learn more on how CNC compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:CNC) was last updated on 12/27/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff
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