Centene Corporation $CNC Shares Sold by Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations

Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations lowered its stake in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 33.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 45,257 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,198 shares during the period. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations’ holdings in Centene were worth $1,615,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Centene by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 58,396,605 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,169,768,000 after purchasing an additional 869,706 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Centene during the second quarter worth approximately $1,435,997,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in Centene by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,186,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,258,586,000 after acquiring an additional 514,600 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Centene by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,208,639 shares of the company’s stock valued at $718,547,000 after acquiring an additional 279,637 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Centene by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 11,725,910 shares of the company’s stock worth $636,482,000 after purchasing an additional 633,946 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene Price Performance

Centene stock opened at $40.43 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.87 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.97, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $42.08 and a 200-day moving average of $36.18. Centene Corporation has a 52-week low of $25.08 and a 52-week high of $66.03.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported ($1.19) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.22) by $0.03. Centene had a negative net margin of 3.43% and a positive return on equity of 4.25%. The firm had revenue of $49.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.000 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Centene Corporation will post 6.86 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Centene

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks/MSN published pieces arguing Centene is a long‑term value stock, highlighting attractive valuation metrics and the company’s scale in government-sponsored health plans; this kind of favorable narrative can support investor demand. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Centene’s community outreach via Superior HealthPlan and The Centene Foundation (No One Eats Alone program in Texas schools) is positive for brand and ESG perception—helps long‑term reputation with payors and state partners. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $39 (from $32) and kept a Hold rating—an upward revision that signals modestly improved analyst expectations even if the rating stayed conservative. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen also raised its target to $38 (from $34) and maintained a Hold—another incremental upgrade to analyst targets that can support the stock after recent volatility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Argus moved Centene to a Hold—an analyst change that reduces downside concern but is not a clear buy signal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a Neutral rating, keeping consensus sentiment cautious given regulatory and margin pressures. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained its Hold on Centene, consistent with the mixed analyst tone—supportive of stability but not a catalyst for a large rerating. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Axios/other outlets report Centene is among insurers to receive subpoenas from a House panel—this introduces regulatory and legal risk that could pressure sentiment and create short‑term volatility. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Centene from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Centene from $32.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $41.50.

Centene Company Profile

Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) is a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise that specializes in providing services to government-sponsored and national health programs. The company primarily acts as a managed care organization, delivering healthcare coverage and administering benefits for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare Advantage, and individual marketplace plans. Centene also contracts with federal and state agencies to manage specialty care programs and community-based services for vulnerable populations.

Centene’s offerings extend beyond traditional insurance to include a range of specialty and support services.