FrançaisAre analysts right about Centene Corporation (CNC)?
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Historical analyst accuracy
For Centene Corporation, we replayed every analyst price target of the past 12 months and measured the real outcome: 39% were profitable, average return +9% (224 calls). At 3 months: +2% average return (41% profitable). The higher the %, the more often analysts were right on this stock.
Most reliable analysts on this stock (past track record)
Their past track record on this stock (targets replayed against real prices) — not a forecast of what will happen.
| Analyst / broker | Calls i | % profitable i | Avg return i |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley | 26 | 54% | +12% |
| Barclays | 21 | 19% | -5% |
| Oppenheimer | 19 | 42% | +20% |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | 19 | 26% | -4% |
| Wells Fargo | 16 | 12% | -19% |
Valuation
Is Centene Corporation overvalued, and is it a good time to buy Centene Corporation right now? If you're wondering, here's a recap to make up your own mind: Centene Corporation's valuation vs its sector median, to weigh alongside analyst reliability (above) and past performance. Educational information, not buy advice.
The P/E (price ÷ earnings per share) = how many years of earnings you pay for the stock. The higher it is, the more growth the market expects — but the pricier the stock, so more vulnerable if growth disappoints. The forward P/E uses next year's expected earnings: lower than the current P/E = rising expected earnings. We compare it to the sector median to see whether the stock is expensive relative to its peers.
| Metric | Centene Corporation | Sector median (Health Care) |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 23.6 | 29.4 |
| Forward P/E | 12.5 | 17.9 |
| Net margin | 1% | 13% |
👉 Centene Corporation trades below its sector median (23.6 vs 29.4) — potentially undervalued, or lower expected growth.
📖 P/E, PEG, margin…: see the glossary
Frequently asked questions
Is Centene Corporation a buy right now?
The analyst consensus on Centene Corporation (CNC) is "Hold" (21 bullish, 1 bearish calls over 12 months). This is not advice: historically, 39% of their targets on this stock turned out profitable over 1 year.
What is Centene Corporation's price target?
The median 12-month price target is $78.00 (+14% vs $68.62), ranging from $63.00 to $82.00 (14 analysts).
Are analysts accurate on Centene Corporation?
Over 1 year, 39% of analyst targets on Centene Corporation were profitable, for an average return of +9% (across 224 timestamped calls). This is JPI Invest's accuracy metric.
What is the Centene Corporation stock forecast?
Analysts target a median of $78.00 within 12 months, i.e. +14% vs the current price. The most bullish targets $82.00, the most cautious $63.00.
What is the Centene Corporation stock forecast for 2026 or long term (2030)?
Note: analyst targets are 12-month (median $78.00, +14%), NOT 2030. No reliable 5-10 year price forecast exists (« 2030 prediction » models are speculative). The most useful inputs: the 12-month median above, these analysts' historical accuracy (39%), and the stock's past trajectory.
Is Centene Corporation overvalued?
Its P/E is 23.6, forward P/E 12.5. A forward P/E lower than the current P/E means earnings are expected to grow.
📊 See the full interactive analysis of Centene Corporation →
What is JPI Invest?
JPI Invest aggregates analyst recommendations across the entire S&P 500 (plus the S&P MidCap 400), replays them against real prices and measures who predicts best — on results, not reputation. Instead of taking a price target at face value, you see each analyst's track record on each stock.
- 🏆 Analyst leaderboard by real reliability (beating their sector, not just riding the rally)
- 🎯 What to buy: 3 backtested methods over 6 years, from cautious to aggressive
- 💬 AI assistant: ask anything about any stock, with the numbers
- 📊 Portfolio tracking + 🔔 price alerts by email
⚠️ Educational information, not investment advice. Analyst price targets are 12-month and can be wrong. Data via Yahoo Finance, recomputed by JPI Invest.