Recent News
On February 6, 2026 the company reported large fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 losses driven by elevated medical costs and a $6.7 billion goodwill impairment; management signaled margin improvement actions and set preliminary adjusted EPS targets for 2026. Market commentary and trading updates in late February highlighted short-term volatility and recent intraday underperformance versus peers, with trading volumes below recent averages on several sessions.
Technical Analysis
Directional indicators show a weak trend environment: ADX at 16.77 indicates no established trend, limiting conviction for a sustained breakout or breakdown. The ADX reading tempers both bullish and bearish technical claims and suggests range trade susceptibility.
DI+ registered 23.87 with a peak-and-reversal pattern, which signals bearish pressure as the positive directional movement has rolled over. Concurrently, DI− sits at 28.88 and shows a decreasing trend; that decline in DI− reduces bearish pressure, producing a mixed directional picture that favors short-term chop rather than a clear trend.
MACD stands at −0.01 with the MACD line increasing and trading above its signal line (signal −0.19); despite a negative absolute reading, the MACD cross constitutes a bullish momentum shift and supports the possibility of near-term upside continuation if momentum holds.
MRO at −22.64 indicates the current price sits below the oscillator’s target, implying potential upside toward the regression target; however, the MRO trend displays a peak-and-reversal pattern, which tempers that potential by signaling a recent loss of momentum.
RSI near 53.84 reads neutral but shows a peak-and-reversal; the neutral magnitude avoids overbought/oversold extremes, yet the reversal hints at fading bullish conviction and greater sensitivity to negative catalysts in the immediate term.
Price behavior relative to moving averages favors a mild bullish bias: the close at $42.69 sits above the 200-day average of $39.59 and roughly aligns with the 50-day average at $42.49; the 12-day EMA ( $42.19 ) and 26-day EMA ( $42.18 ) both trend higher, supporting a short-term upward tilt. Bollinger band width remains moderate (20-day stdev $2.17) with the 1× and 2× upper bands at $43.30 and $45.46 respectively, providing defined near-term resistance levels. Low beta (42-day 0.08; 52-week 0.17) reduces sensitivity to broad market moves, favoring stock-specific drivers for directional moves.
Fundamental Analysis
Earnings metrics reflect a challenging 2025 but measurable beats versus consensus: reported EPS of $−1.19 compared with an estimate of $−1.22 represents an EPS surprise of +2.46%. The company recorded a significant full-year loss in 2025 alongside large noncash impairments; management commentary points to margin remediation steps for 2026.
Profitability and growth signals diverge: GAAP PE sits negative at −34.63 due to the reported loss, while forward EPS of $1.03 produces a forward PE of 37.67. WMDST notes this divergence when framing near-term valuation and risk—current negative trailing earnings distort traditional PE comparison, while the forward PE embeds management’s recovery assumptions.
Revenue and earnings growth show mixed periodic patterns: revenue growth reads 0.0% on the provided figure, with quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year revenue change listed as −100.00% each (data states −1.0 for QoQ and YoY); reported earnings growth shows −338.00% on the headline figure with an earnings growth QoQ of −18.06% but earnings growth YoY of 567.76%. Treat extreme QoQ/YoY magnitudes with operational context—one-time impairments and membership mix shifts drove large percentage swings in the period under review.
Capital efficiency and liquidity indicators carry caveats: invested capital registers $‑1,654,000,000 (negative sign present in the data), cash conversion metrics from peers suggest a broad range but the provided cash flow margin and cash-flow-to-earnings read 0.0% in the supplied figures, and cost of debt sits at 0.96%, indicating low borrowing costs on reported debt balances.
Valuation context versus peer ratios (industry peer metrics supplied): the PEG ratio sits at 0.10245 (10.25% when expressed as a percentage) versus an industry peer mean of 0.19466 (19.47%); that places Centene below the industry peer mean on PEG. Forward PE of 37.67 compares to an industry peer forward PE mean near 53.71 (when applicable), placing Centene’s forward valuation below the industry peer mean on a forward basis. WMDST values the stock as under-valued based on the firm’s internal framework and the combination of forward earnings and remediation expectations.
MOST-RECENT QUARTERLY REPORT
| REPORT PERIOD ENDING: | 2025-12-31 |
| REPORT DATE: | 2026-02-06 |
| NEXT REPORT DATE: | 2026-05-08 |
| CASH FLOW | Begin Period Cash Flow | — |
| Operating Cash Flow | — | |
| Capital Expenditures | — | |
| Change In Working Capital | — | |
| Dividends Paid | — | |
| Cash Flow Delta | — | |
| End Period Cash Flow | — | |
| INCOME STATEMENT | REVENUE | |
| Total Revenue | — | |
| Forward Revenue | — | |
| COSTS | ||
| Cost Of Revenue | — | |
| Depreciation | — | |
| Depreciation and Amortization | — | |
| Research and Development | — | |
| Total Operating Expenses | — | |
| PROFITABILITY | ||
| Gross Profit | — | |
| EBITDA | — | |
| EBIT | — | |
| Operating Income | — | |
| Interest Income | — | |
| Interest Expense | — | |
| Net Interest Income | — | |
| Income Before Tax | — | |
| Tax Provision | — | |
| Tax Rate | — | |
| Net Income | — | |
| Net Income From Continuing Operations | — | |
| EARNINGS | ||
| EPS Estimate | $ -1.22 | |
| EPS Actual | $ -1.19 | |
| EPS Difference | $ 0.03 | |
| EPS Surprise | 2.459 % | |
| Forward EPS | $ 1.03 | |
| BALANCE SHEET | ASSETS | |
| Total Assets | — | |
| Intangible Assets | — | |
| Net Tangible Assets | — | |
| Total Current Assets | — | |
| Cash and Short-Term Investments | — | |
| Cash | — | |
| Net Receivables | — | |
| Inventory | — | |
| Long-Term Investments | — | |
| LIABILITIES | ||
| Accounts Payable | — | |
| Short-Term Debt | — | |
| Total Current Liabilities | — | |
| Net Debt | — | |
| Total Debt | — | |
| Total Liabilities | — | |
| EQUITY | ||
| Total Equity | — | |
| Retained Earnings | — | |
| VALUATION & PER-SHARE METRICS | EQUITY & PER-SHARE METRICS | |
| Book Value Per-Share | — | |
| Shares Outstanding | — | |
| Revenue Per-Share | — | |
| VALUATION | Market Capitalization | — |
| Enterprise Value | — | |
| Enterprise Multiple | — | |
| Enterprise Multiple QoQ | — | |
| Enterprise Multiple YoY | — | |
| Enterprise Multiple IPRWA | — | |
| EV/R | — | |
| CAPITAL STRUCTURE | ||
| Asset To Equity | — | |
| Asset To Liability | — | |
| Debt To Capital | — | |
| Debt To Assets | — | |
| Debt To Assets QoQ | — | |
| Debt To Assets YoY | — | |
| Debt To Assets IPRWA | — | |
| Debt To Equity | — | |
| Debt To Equity QoQ | — | |
| Debt To Equity YoY | — | |
| Debt To Equity IPRWA | — | |
| PRICE-BASED VALUATION | ||
| Price To Book (P/B) | — | |
| Price To Book QoQ | — | |
| Price To Book YoY | — | |
| Price To Book IPRWA | — | |
| Price To Earnings (P/E) | -34.628 | |
| Price To Earnings QoQ | -149.448 % | |
| Price To Earnings YoY | -143.95 % | |
| Price To Earnings IPRWA | high: 104.977 mean: 77.86 median: 67.666 low: 33.87 CNC: -34.628 |
|
| PE/G Ratio | 0.102 | |
| Price To Sales (P/S) | — | |
| Price To Sales QoQ | — | |
| Price To Sales YoY | — | |
| Price To Sales IPRWA | — | |
| FORWARD MULTIPLES | ||
| Forward P/E | 37.668 | |
| Forward PE/G | -0.111 | |
| Forward P/S | — | |
| EFFICIENCY | OPERATIONAL | |
| Operating Leverage | — | |
| ASSET & SALES | ||
| Asset Turnover Ratio | — | |
| Asset Turnover Ratio QoQ | — | |
| Asset Turnover Ratio YoY | — | |
| Asset Turnover Ratio IPRWA | — | |
| Receivables Turnover | — | |
| Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ | — | |
| Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY | — | |
| Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA | — | |
| Inventory Turnover | — | |
| Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ | — | |
| Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY | — | |
| Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA | — | |
| Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) | — | |
| CASH CYCLE | ||
| Cash Conversion Cycle Days (CCC) | — | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle Days QoQ | — | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle Days YoY | — | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle Days IPRWA | high: 33.528 CNC: 0 mean: -1.551 median: -7.057 low: -17.884 |
|
| CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT | ||
| Cash Conversion Ratio | — | |
| CapEx To Revenue | — | |
| CapEx To Depreciation | — | |
| CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY & COVERAGE | CAPITAL STRUCTURE | |
| Total Capital | — | |
| Net Invested Capital | — | |
| Invested Capital | $ -1.65 B | |
| Net Tangible Assets | — | |
| Net Working Capital | — | |
| LIQUIDITY | ||
| Cash Ratio | — | |
| Current Ratio | — | |
| Current Ratio QoQ | — | |
| Current Ratio YoY | — | |
| Current Ratio IPRWA | — | |
| Quick Ratio | — | |
| Quick Ratio QoQ | — | |
| Quick Ratio YoY | — | |
| Quick Ratio IPRWA | — | |
| COVERAGE & LEVERAGE | ||
| Debt To EBITDA | — | |
| Cost Of Debt | 0.961 % | |
| Interest Coverage Ratio | — | |
| Interest Coverage Ratio QoQ | — | |
| Interest Coverage Ratio YoY | — | |
| Interest Coverage Ratio IPRWA | — | |
| Operating Cash Flow Ratio | — | |
| TIMING / LIQUIDITY | ||
| Days Payables Outstanding (DPO) | — | |
| DIVIDENDS | ||
| Dividend Coverage Ratio | — | |
| Dividend Payout Ratio | — | |
| Dividend Rate | — | |
| Dividend Yield | — | |
| PERFORMANCE | GROWTH | |
| Asset Growth Rate | — | |
| Revenue Growth | 0.0 % | |
| Revenue Growth QoQ | -100.0 % | |
| Revenue Growth YoY | -100.0 % | |
| Revenue Growth IPRWA | high: 5.835 % median: 2.743 % mean: 2.385 % CNC: 0.0 % low: -1.677 % |
|
| Earnings Growth | -338.0 % | |
| Earnings Growth QoQ | -18.061 % | |
| Earnings Growth YoY | 567.76 % | |
| Earnings Growth IPRWA | high: 40.152 % median: -5.274 % mean: -11.737 % low: -44.776 % CNC: -338.0 % |
|
| MARGINS | ||
| Gross Margin | — | |
| Gross Margin QoQ | — | |
| Gross Margin YoY | — | |
| Gross Margin IPRWA | — | |
| EBIT Margin | — | |
| EBIT Margin QoQ | — | |
| EBIT Margin YoY | — | |
| EBIT Margin IPRWA | — | |
| Return On Sales (ROS) | — | |
| Return On Sales QoQ | — | |
| Return On Sales YoY | — | |
| Return On Sales IPRWA | — | |
| CASH FLOW | ||
| Free Cash Flow (FCF) | — | |
| Free Cash Flow Yield | — | |
| Free Cash Flow Yield QoQ | — | |
| Free Cash Flow Yield YoY | — | |
| Free Cash Flow Yield IPRWA | — | |
| Free Cash Growth | — | |
| Free Cash Growth QoQ | — | |
| Free Cash Growth YoY | — | |
| Free Cash Growth IPRWA | — | |
| Free Cash To Net Income | — | |
| Cash Flow Margin | 0.0 % | |
| Cash Flow To Earnings | 0.0 | |
| VALUE & RETURNS | ||
| Economic Value Added | — | |
| Return On Assets (ROA) | — | |
| Return On Assets QoQ | — | |
| Return On Assets YoY | — | |
| Return On Assets IPRWA | — | |
| Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) | — | |
| Return On Equity (ROE) | — | |
| Return On Equity QoQ | — | |
| Return On Equity YoY | — | |
| Return On Equity IPRWA | — | |
| DuPont ROE | — | |
| Return On Invested Capital (ROIC) | — | |
| Return On Invested Capital QoQ | — | |
| Return On Invested Capital YoY | — | |
| Return On Invested Capital IPRWA | — | |