Fact based stock research
Centene (NYSE:CNC)
US15135B1017
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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Centene stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 91 (better than 91% compared with investment alternatives), Centene (Health Care Managed, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Centene are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 93 (better than 93% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 78, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 13). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 91, is a strong buy recommendation based on Centene's financial characteristics. As the company Centene's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 93) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 13) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 78), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 93% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
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360° Viewnew| Country | USA |
| Industry | Health Care Managed |
| Index | Employee Focus US, Diversity USA, D.J. US Health Care, S&P 500 |
| Size class | X-Large |
This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.
31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: Centene
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 70 |
|
88 |
|
79 |
|
93 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 31 |
|
5 |
|
8 |
|
13 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 83 |
|
56 |
|
65 |
|
78 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 81 |
|
65 |
|
63 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 73 |
|
52 |
|
62 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 91 (better than 91% compared with investment alternatives), Centene (Health Care Managed, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Centene are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 93 (better than 93% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 78, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 13). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 91, is a strong buy recommendation based on Centene's financial characteristics. As the company Centene's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 93) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 13) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 78), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 93% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 70 |
|
88 |
|
79 |
|
93 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 31 |
|
5 |
|
8 |
|
13 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 83 |
|
56 |
|
65 |
|
78 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 80 |
|
47 |
|
55 |
|
91 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 93 (better than 93% compared with alternatives) for 2025, Centene shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Centene. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 95, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 95% of comparable companies, indicating a good value regarding Centene's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price to Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 97% of alternatives, and it's also true for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 90. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields are expected to be lower than average; only 1% of all competitors have even lower dividend yields than Centene (a Dividend Yield Rank of 1). 99% alternative investments in the same business provide a higher dividend yield. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 93, is a buy recommendation based on Centene's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The below-average dividend yield may be a good sign, as it could mean the company has more attractive investment opportunities for the generated cash than to pay it out as dividends. A low dividend yield can also indicate a growth phase. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 89 |
|
87 |
|
91 |
|
95 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 57 |
|
89 |
|
94 |
|
97 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 87 |
|
81 |
|
85 |
|
90 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 70 |
|
88 |
|
79 |
|
93 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 13 (better than 13% compared with alternatives), Centene shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Centene. Only Capital Growth has a good rank of 75, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 14% of its competitors. The other three indicators are pointing South: Sales Growth has a rank of 8 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 92% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 14 and Stock Returns with a rank of 7 are also low (below 93% of alternative investments). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 13, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The good news from the invested capital side is surprising. A company with disappointing revenues, profits, and disappointed shareholders typically doesn't invest above average. Overall, the growth momentum for Centene is thus negative. As it is intriguing to see that company executives are optimistic about their investment policy, it is worthwhile looking into the details of the capital investment projects. They may indicate future growth and profits and thus if accompanied by a good value, a sign of good timing to invest in the stock. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is limited here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 44 |
|
6 |
|
30 |
|
8 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 46 |
|
47 |
|
20 |
|
14 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 7 |
|
7 |
|
23 |
|
75 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 73 |
|
25 |
|
19 |
|
7 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 31 |
|
5 |
|
8 |
|
13 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 78 (better than 78% compared with alternatives) for 2025, the company Centene has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Centene is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators where two out of three are above average for Centene.Leverage is at 55, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 55% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 83, meaning that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 83% of its competitors. Liquidity is at 49, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 51% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side regarding debt service. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 78 (better than 78% compared with alternatives), Centene has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. Low leverage and low refinancing risk mean a safer financing situation. However, low liquidity means that current company cash flows are low in relation to the level of debt. This is a sign of caution in case it is expected for profits to remain low. Investors should compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before deciding. They may also want to investigate why cash flows are expected to be low, making debt service for Centene more challenging. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 44 |
|
32 |
|
50 |
|
55 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 8 |
|
63 |
|
72 |
|
83 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 50 |
|
51 |
|
50 |
|
49 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 83 |
|
56 |
|
65 |
|
78 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
37 |
|
41 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | 50 |
|
50 |
|
52 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | 77 |
|
66 |
|
45 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | 62 |
|
74 |
|
78 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | 81 |
|
65 |
|
63 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Centene from July 31, 2025.
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