Centene Corp. (CNC) Stock Analysis
Latest ClaritX AI analysis ·
Centene Corporation operates as a managed care company that provides programs and services to under-insured families, and commercial organizations in the United States. It operates through four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The Medicaid segment offers the temporary assistance for needy families; medicaid expansion; aged, blind, or disabled; and children's health insurance programs, as well as long-term services and supports; foster care; and medicare-medicaid plans. This segment also provides healthcare products and services. The Medicare segment offers special needs and medicare supplement, and prescription drug plans. The Commercial segment provides health insurance
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | $68.87 |
| Market cap | $34.0B |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical - Healthcare Plans |
| ClaritX AI score | 87/100 |
| Price/Book | 1.51 |
| Beta | 1.13 |
AI verdict
Centene Corporation (CNC) represents a premier, deeply mispriced cash-flow juggernaut within the defensive healthcare sector, actively breaking out on the back of operational efficiency catalysts. At a current price of $68.87, the equity is trading a mere 1.19% below its 52-week high of $69.70, with a beta of 1.13. While buying a stock near its absolute peak typically carries elevated pullback risk, Centene completely subverts this dynamic because its valuation remains severely distressed. The recent breakout is not fueled by euphoric multiple expansion, but by the market finally acknowledging the company's intrinsic financial supremacy, underscored by the newly launched Gold Card Program designed to aggressively trim administrative costs and expand margins. The fundamental thesis is nearly unassailable. Centene holds a staggering $54.79 in pure cash per share, meaning nearly 80% of its market capitalization is backed entirely by unencumbered liquidity. Generating an elite $18.16 in Free Cash Flow per share, the stock trades at a deeply discounted 3.79x P/FCF multiple. Backed by a flawless 5/5 institutional DCF score, massive historical insider accumulation, and rising consensus price targets of $75.88, Centene's technical momentum is fully justified by its underlying fundamentals. The stock remains a top-tier accumulation target ahead of its Q3 earnings print. Rating 87/100
What this score has been worth
ClaritX scores CNC 87 out of 100 (snapshot 2026-10-21).
Every ClaritX analysis is scored first and judged only on what the stock did afterwards. Across the 202 analyses that scored in the 85-89 band, the average forward return was +2.6% with a 60% win rate, -2.5pp against the S&P 500. That is a measured tendency across many names, not a forecast for CNC — roughly 40% of stocks in this band still lost money.
The full band-by-band table, including the bands that lost, is on the AI Rank Report; the live strategy arms behind it are on the AI Track Record, losses published.