We don't expect much directional impetus in the stock market until after the presidential election is decided.
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for Centene (CNC) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended September 2024, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
Centene (CNC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.62 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.39 per share. This compares to earnings of $2 per share a year ago.
On Friday, Centene Corporation CNC third-quarter sales of $42.02 billion, up 10.5% year-over-year, beating the consensus of $37.69 billion.
The health insurer beat quarterly estimates for earnings and sales.
Centene reported a third quarter profit of $713 million as Obamacare enrollment and premium revenue helped overcome a big dip in Medicaid enrollment.
Chief Executive Sarah M. London said the company had navigated a ‘dynamic landscape' in the quarter amid turmoil in the Medicaid business.
Centene beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit on Friday, as strength in its commercial insurance business outweighed the impact of high costs related to its government-backed Medicaid plans for low-income people.
Certain healthcare stocks rank among the “Harris trades,” meaning stocks that could rally on a win by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, small-cap banks are among the stocks that could benefit from a second Trump presidency.
CNC's third-quarter earnings are likely to have been affected by lower premiums and rising medical costs.
Centene, a leading health insurer, shows strong fundamentals and growth despite sector challenges, making it a "Buy" at a target price of $70/share. The company's 2Q24 results indicate robust earnings growth and increasing membership, contrasting with peers like Humana, which face significant declines. Centene's valuation at $61/share with a P/E of 9x is attractive, projecting a potential 27.17% annualized upside until 2026.
Get a deeper insight into the potential performance of Centene (CNC) for the quarter ended September 2024 by going beyond Wall Street's top -and-bottom-line estimates and examining the estimates for some of its key metrics.