Bull Harbor Capital LLC Takes $2.07 Million Position in Centene Corporation $CNC

Bull Harbor Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 63,275 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,072,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centene in the 4th quarter worth $2,566,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Centene by 114.1% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 45,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,885,000 after acquiring an additional 24,411 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its holdings in shares of Centene by 426.8% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 2,318,075 shares of the company’s stock valued at $95,389,000 after purchasing an additional 1,878,064 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its position in Centene by 162.6% during the fourth quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,720,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its stake in Centene by 599.0% during the fourth quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 52,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,173,000 after purchasing an additional 45,260 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large earnings and revenue beat: Centene reported adjusted EPS of $2.51, versus the roughly $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $53.58 billion, up 9.9% year over year and well above expectations. GAAP net income was $1.09 billion, compared with a loss in the prior-year quarter. Centene Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Profit outlook raised: Management increased 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to above $4.80 and GAAP diluted EPS guidance to above $3.11. Revenue guidance was raised to $193.5 billion-$197.5 billion, reflecting stronger premium and service revenue growth. Centene Raises Annual Profit Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Improving medical cost trends: The health benefits ratio improved to 89.6% from 93.0% a year earlier. Commercial results were particularly strong, with a 79.2% ratio, while Medicare also showed improvement. Analysts highlighted margin recovery, cost discipline and better Marketplace performance as key drivers. Centene Stock Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Margin Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation viewed favorably: Recent commentary argues that CNC may still look inexpensive after its substantial advance, with the earnings recovery potentially supporting further gains. Centene Stock Still Looks Like a Bargain
• Neutral Sentiment: Debt and board changes: Centene announced the partial redemption of $500 million of 2027 notes. It also added Paul J. Diaz to the board following Kenneth Burdick’s retirement. These moves are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings but may signal balance-sheet management and governance transition. Centene Announces Partial Redemption of 2027 Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Membership remains a concern: Total at-risk membership declined to 25.885 million, and Medicaid membership softened. Investors appear focused on whether enrollment declines and the Medicaid outlook could limit future revenue growth despite better margins. Centene Back on Track
• Negative Sentiment: Expectations and valuation risk: With CNC near its 52-week high after a 150% run, some investors may be taking profits. Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $66 but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting limited near-term upside from current levels.

Centene Stock Down 3.3%

NYSE:CNC opened at $61.79 on Thursday. Centene Corporation has a 52 week low of $25.08 and a 52 week high of $69.36. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $63.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $1.42. Centene had a positive return on equity of 12.12% and a negative net margin of 2.51%.The business had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $47.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.16) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Centene Corporation will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on CNC shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Centene from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 18th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Centene from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Centene from $39.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Centene from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $67.00.

About Centene

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.