CNC · NYSE · STOCK
Centene (CNC) Stock Analysis
$65.37
52W $31.63 – $69.63
65/100
$32.29B
-6.3
1.13
⚠
Buy rating, but near-term risk/reward is unfavorable
The long-term recommendation is based on the composite investment score. The near-term risk/reward is based on nearby support and resistance levels. These can differ when a strong company trades close to resistance with support further below.
Is CNC Bullish or Bearish?
Bullish.
Innellis AI committee rates Centene Corporation (CNC) Buy with a composite score of 65/100
, based on 6 analysts with 83% agreement.
Last updated October 10, 2026.
What Would Change This View
- Upgrade to Strong Buy
- Requires a committee score of 75.0 — +10.29 from today. Applies on the first day at or above the line; upgrades are never dampened.
- Downgrade to Watch
- Requires the score to fall below 55.0 — -9.71 from today. The band boundary is 60.0, but a one-step downgrade must clear a further margin first. A score oscillating around the line should not change the rating every night.
Executive Summary
The committee is genuinely divided. News Analyst sees a compelling case — news sentiment is positive (+0.60 across 26 articles, 14d). Portfolio Manager remains cautious — sector concentration is already high (hhi 2796.97). This disagreement is itself the signal — the setup is not clean in either direction.
Bull & Bear Case
Bull Case
- Price-to-book of 1.0x is a discount to asset value — Value
- 4 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution — Growth
- MACD histogram positive -- bullish momentum — Technical
- Weekly trend (sideways) confirms the daily trend -- multi-timeframe agreement — Technical
- News sentiment is positive (+0.60 across 26 articles, 14d) — News
Bear Case
- ROE of only -24.0% -- cheap may mean cheap for a reason — Value
- Growth rate is decelerating quarter over quarter -- the trend line matters more than the level — Growth
Both cases are generated from quantitative data signals, not qualitative or
forward-looking judgement. They summarise what the numbers say today.
Price History (6M)
AI Investment Committee
Committee Consensus
As of October 10, 2026
Overall Committee Score
65/100
Agreement
83%
Analysts
6
Conviction
High
Sector Rank
Top 5%
of 192 Healthcare peers
Value Analyst
neutral
55
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
Fair value -- neither a bargain nor obviously overpriced
+ Price-to-book of 1.0x is a discount to asset value
− ROE of only -24.0% -- cheap may mean cheap for a reason
Growth Analyst
bullish
60
/ 100 · High confidence
Strong, accelerating growth with consistent execution
+ 4 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution
− Growth rate is decelerating quarter over quarter -- the trend line matters more than the level
Technical Analyst
bullish
61
/ 100 · High confidence
Price action is constructive -- trend and momentum agree
+ MACD histogram positive -- bullish momentum
Risk Analyst
bullish
70
/ 100 · Low confidence
Risk profile is manageable -- leverage, volatility, and event exposure all look contained
Macro Analyst
bullish
65
/ 100 · Low confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
News Analyst
bullish
77
/ 100 · Low confidence
News flow and recent filings/analyst actions are net positive
+ News sentiment is positive (+0.60 across 26 articles, 14d)
Portfolio Manager
bearish
30
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
The existing book itself argues for caution here, independent of how good this specific stock looks
− Sector concentration is already high (HHI 2796.97)
Investment Thesis Evolution
Committee score moved marginally from 64.7 to 64.7.
Comparing 2026-10-09 to 2026-10-10 (1 day apart).
Technical Analysis
RSI (14)
62.5
Neutral
MACD Histogram
0.299
Bullish Momentum
Trend Direction
Sideways
Weekly: Sideways
Market Structure
Hh Hl
Support
$63.49
Resistance
$65.86
Bollinger %B
0.63
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$64.14
Above
EMA 21
$64.16
Above
EMA 50
$64.20
Above
EMA 200
$56.55
Above
Fundamental Analysis
Valuation
100
Growth
75
Profitability
0
Financial Health
59
Cash Flow
70
Valuation
P/E Ratio
-6.3×
P/B Ratio
1.43×
PEG Ratio
0.02
Dividend Yield
0.00%
52W High
$69.63
52W Low
$31.63
Quality & Growth
ROE
-3344.4%
ROA
-859.2%
Gross Margin
1612.5%
Operating Margin
-281.8%
Revenue Growth YoY
—
Debt / Equity
0.71
AI Fundamental Assessment
P/E ratio of -6.3 (inexpensive relative to a 15-40x range); Price-to-book of 1.4x; PEG ratio of 0.0 (under 1.0 suggests growth is undervalued relative to price); Return on equity of -33.4%; Return on assets of -8.6%; Net margin of -2.6%; Gross margin of 16.1%; Current ratio of 1.15 (tight short-term liquidity); Debt-to-equity of 0.71; Free cash flow per share is positive (18.16); Most recent quarter beat estimates by 129.0%; 4 consecutive earnings beats; EPS growth decelerating (+383.2% -> -25.5% QoQ); Average YoY EPS growth of 1668.8%; Analyst estimates rising over recent quarters
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