Centene Corp. · CNC · FY2025 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2025

Centene raises adjusted EPS outlook as Medicaid improves and Marketplace is repriced

The quarter supports a measured improvement thesis: stronger Medicaid results, repricing actions, and Medicare growth provide operating support, but policy uncertainty and Marketplace cost trends limit confidence in a durable recovery.

Reported Before market openNYSEHealthcare $30.69B market cap
100quality score

Earnings scorecard

Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS $0.50 Consensus $-0.14
EPS surprise +445.4% Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue $49.69B Consensus $47.72B
Revenue surprise +4.1% Reported versus consensus

Market reaction

prior-close to event-session close
Stock move +12.5% Event window
SPY move +0.0% Same window
Abnormal move +12.5% Stock minus SPY
Volume 2.7× Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift +5.7% Up to 20 sessions
CNCSPY benchmark

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Transcript intelligence

What changed

The current analysis is more constructive than the prior quarter: adjusted EPS guidance rose to at least $2, Medicaid HBR improved to 93.4%, and 2026 Marketplace pricing actions were positioned as a path toward margin expansion. The main new offset is a $6.7 billion non-cash goodwill impairment.

Guidance delta

Management raised 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to at least $2 per share from the prior quarter's $1.75 outlook.

Key takeaways

  • Management raised 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to at least $2 per share.
  • Medicaid HBR improved to 93.4%, aided by a Florida CMS revenue adjustment and rate advocacy.
  • 2026 Marketplace repricing is intended to support margin recovery, while eAPTC uncertainty remains.
  • A $6.7 billion goodwill impairment affects GAAP results but not cash flow or adjusted earnings.

Management priorities

  • Provide full 2026 guidance on the Q4 earnings call.
  • Launch the integrated dual-eligible SNP model's first phase in eight states.
  • Continue Marketplace digital tools, enrollment staffing, rate advocacy, and network optimization.

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Earnings History

Estimate Beat Miss Match
CNC EPS earnings history estimate and actual scatter chart 9 reported fiscal quarters and 4 future estimate-only quarters. Q1 '24 estimate $2.08 Q1 '24 actual $2.26, beat Q2 '24 estimate $2.07 Q2 '24 actual $2.42, beat Q3 '24 estimate $1.33 Q3 '24 actual $1.62, beat Q2 '25 estimate $0.11 Q2 '25 actual $-0.16, miss Q3 '25 estimate $-0.14 Q3 '25 actual $0.50, beat Q4 '25 estimate $-1.22 Q4 '25 actual $-1.19, beat Q1 '26 estimate $2.23 Q1 '26 actual $3.37, beat Q2 '26 estimate $1.09 Q2 '26 actual $2.51, beat Q3 '26 estimate $0.10 Q4 '26 estimate $-1.10 Q1 '27 estimate $3.33 Q2 '27 estimate $2.21
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Analyst Consensus ?

ConsensusBuy44 ratings
Bullish2761.4%
Neutral1636.3%
Bearish12.3%

Analyst 52W Price Targets

$62.12Current
$33Low
$72.26Average
$109High

Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Oct 1, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.

Firm-level rating actions

FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.

FirmRatingPrior ratingActionDate
Argus Research Buy HoldUpgradeAug 11, 2026
JP Morgan Neutral NeutralMaintainAug 4, 2026
Bernstein Outperform OutperformMaintainAug 3, 2026
Barclays Overweight OverweightMaintainJul 29, 2026
Baird Neutral NeutralMaintainJul 29, 2026
Show 39 more rating actions

Named analyst price targets

Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $62.12. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.

FirmAnalyst52W targetPrice when postedUpsideDate
UBSAnalyst unavailable$79$64.43 +27.2%Aug 18, 2026
Argus ResearchJohn Staszak$80$66.56 +28.8%Aug 11, 2026
BernsteinAnalyst unavailable$79$62.37 +27.2%Aug 3, 2026
Stifel NicolausAnalyst unavailable$79$62.22 +27.2%Aug 3, 2026
Morgan StanleyErin Wright$66$62.27 +6.2%Jul 29, 2026
See 69 more

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Company context

Snapshot as of publication

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.…

Historical context

All CNC earnings

Healthcare peers this season

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COO The Cooper Companies, Inc. FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q3 2026 +2.7% -14.7% CooperCompanies beats expectations as inventory reduction weighs on vision revenue
MDT Medtronic plc FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 +4.3% +1.5% Medtronic raises FY27 outlook as growth broadens across platforms

Latest beats and misses

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Sources

  1. Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
  2. FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:37:12.209961+00:00
  3. Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-10-01T04:36:11.568774+00:00
  4. Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-10-01T04:36:11.564849+00:00

Methodology

Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.

Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.

Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.

By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-10-01. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.