Stock analysis · Bull Rankings model

CNC analysis

Centene CorporationHealthcare Plans. Scored on the same transparent model behind the daily rankings.

CNC
Centene Corporation · Healthcare Plans
FCF$9.0bB+
Rev+19.4%B+
D/E0.71C+
P/S0.2xA
PEG0.88B+
57.6Score
$65.02$32.1B
1Y Target$71.67Analyst consensus · 18 analysts
5Y Target$125.35Compound horizon
10Y Target$224.02Long-dated conviction
FCF$9.0bTTM · 06/26
B+
FCF $9.0b — strong cash profile, above most peers · TTM computed from 4 most-recent quarters (TTM · 06/26).
Rev+19.4%FY YoY
B+
Revenue +19.4% — above sector median, healthy trajectory · Computed from last two annual revenue figures (FY YoY).
D/E0.71
C+
D/E 0.71 — above the Healthcare debt median (≈75th pctile)
P/S0.2x
A
P/S 0.2x — cheapest decile in Healthcare (≈10th pctile)
PEG0.88
B+
PEG 0.88 — near fair value, classic Lynch benchmark (1.0)

Forward price target — the 1-year figure is the analyst consensus where the stock is covered; the 5- and 10-year figures compound our earnings estimate from there. The DCF below is a separate cross-check on intrinsic value (what it's worth today), not another target.

Quality-growth score · 57.6
Quality27.1
Growth86.0
Value81.9
Entry · Margin of safety
52-week rangeNear 52-week high
6% off the 12-month high
vs DCF fair value77% belowest. fair value ~$280
What the price assumes: outright free-cash-flow decline for the next decade — vs the ~9% a year our model projects from current growth and analyst estimates.

Model-generatedGenerated by the Bull Rankings model from this company's reported fundamentals, and checked against the figures shown above.

Why now
Healthcare Plans · market cap $32.1b. 6% off the 52-week high of $69.36. Revenue growing +19%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.88 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 18 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $71.67 (implying +10% upside).
Moat
Turnaround / out-of-favor name — GAAP-unprofitable for now, so the durability case is forward-looking: it rests on a recovery (margin normalization, a cyclical upturn or restructuring) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than on current reported results.
Risk
Currently unprofitable (margin -2.8%) — path to GAAP profitability is the core thesis risk. ROE -20% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
Horizon
1-3 yr $71.67 (18-analyst consensus) — catalyst-driven; binary events dominate. 5 yr $125.35 — requires the platform / technology to reach commercial scale. 10 yr $224.02 — return distribution heavily skewed.
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.

CNC vs the Top Picks average

PillarCNCBook avgDiff
Quality0.270.84-0.57
Growth0.860.84+0.02
Value0.820.78+0.04

Averaged across the 30 names in today's Top Picks (mean score 81.5). A name can beat these averages and still be absent from the book — it also applies concentration limits.

Trend
+1.1 over 47 daily scores
From 56.5 (Jun 22) → 57.6 (now)

One point per daily model run. The range autoscales, so a flat-looking line can still hide 1–2 point moves — read the From → To values for the actual range.

Analyst estimate revisions

30-day change+18.7%
90-day change+19.2%
Forward EPS estimate$5.31

Over the last 90 days, what analysts expect CNC to earn is materially higher (+19.2%). The estimate is derived from price and forward P/E captured at the same instant, so a moving share price does not move this number — only a changed forecast does.

A rising estimate means expectations are improving, not that the price has failed to keep up — and estimates get cut as readily as they get raised. It is not part of the Bull Rankings score. Biggest movers across the market →

Shares to buy
30
Position size
$1,951
3.9% of portfolio
Stop price
$48.77
25% below $65.02
$ at risk if stopped
$487.65
budget $500.00 · 1% of portfolio

Math only — share count is floor(portfolio × risk% ÷ (price × stop%)). Doesn't account for commissions, slippage, gap risk, or position-correlation across your book. Inputs persist locally; never sent to the server. Not investment advice.

Centene Corporation (CNC): score, valuation & FAQ

Centene Corporation (CNC) is a Healthcare Plans company that scores 57.6 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth model — a middling reading. The score blends three pillars — quality (durable returns, healthy margins, low leverage), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (valuation versus sector peers) — into one number, refreshed daily; it is a screen, not a buy recommendation.

Its strongest graded signals are P/S (A), FCF (B+) and Rev (B+). On valuation, CNC sits about 77% below our discounted-cash-flow fair value (a margin of safety) — the current price implies outright free-cash-flow decline over the next decade.

Is CNC a good stock to buy?

Bull Rankings scores CNC 57.6 out of 100 on its quality-growth model, which is a middling reading. That is driven by P/S (A), FCF (B+) and Rev (B+). A score is a quantitative screen of Centene Corporation's fundamentals, not personalised financial advice — weigh it against your own time horizon and risk tolerance, and read the risk factors below before acting.

Why does CNC score 57.6 on Bull Rankings?

The quality-growth score blends three pillars — quality (returns on capital, margins, leverage, earnings quality), growth (revenue and earnings expansion), and value (valuation versus sector peers). CNC earns its highest marks on P/S (A), FCF (B+) and Rev (B+). Each pillar is graded against sector-aware thresholds, then combined into the single 0–100 score.

Is CNC overvalued or undervalued?

Based on $65.02, CNC sits about 77% below our discounted-cash-flow fair value (a margin of safety) — the current price implies outright free-cash-flow decline over the next decade. Discounted-cash-flow estimates are sensitive to growth and discount-rate assumptions, so treat this as a cross-check, not a price target.

What are the main risks of investing in CNC?

Currently unprofitable (margin -2.8%) — path to GAAP profitability is the core thesis risk. ROE -20% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.

New to these metrics? The guides explain free cash flow, how the score works, and more in the learn hub — or run another name through the screener.

Bull Rankings is an automated fundamentals screen for research and education. It is not investment advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Do your own research and consider consulting a licensed financial advisor.

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