CNC
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Centene Corporation (CNC) closed at $34.40 as of 2026-03-20, trading 46.8% below its 200-week moving average of $64.65. This places CNC in the extreme value zone. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from -46.9% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 41, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 14 weeks, down-weeks have had more trading volume than up-weeks (0.64 buyers-vs-sellers ratio). That means when people are active, they're more often selling than buying. Sellers are still more in control than buyers.
Over the past 1218 weeks of data, CNC has crossed below its 200-week moving average 15 times. On average, these episodes lasted 20 weeks. Historically, investors who bought CNC at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +14.8%.
With a market cap of $16.9 billion, CNC is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 29.9%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at -28.7%. The stock trades at 0.8x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 10.7% over the past three years.
Over the past 23.4 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CNC would have grown to $1477, compared to $1062 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 12.2% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming CNC as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: CNC vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After CNC Crosses Below the Line?
Across 15 historical episodes, buying CNC when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +5.2% after 12 months (median +16.0%), compared to +16.2% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 53% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +53.9% vs +28.0% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment CNC crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
CNC has crossed below its 200-week MA 15 times with an average 1-year return of +14.8% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2003 | Mar 2003 | 6 | 7.6% | +91.4% | +1598.8% |
| Jul 2006 | Oct 2006 | 14 | 28.8% | +41.4% | +845.7% |
| Mar 2007 | Nov 2007 | 37 | 16.2% | -21.0% | +528.0% |
| Jan 2008 | Dec 2009 | 100 | 44.0% | -24.2% | +472.1% |
| Jan 2010 | Mar 2010 | 8 | 13.1% | +27.8% | +590.1% |
| Aug 2010 | Aug 2010 | 1 | 2.4% | +41.0% | +577.8% |
| Aug 2019 | Oct 2019 | 8 | 6.6% | +39.7% | -23.1% |
| Mar 2020 | Mar 2020 | 1 | 1.7% | +31.5% | -29.6% |
| Sep 2021 | Sep 2021 | 1 | 1.3% | +54.0% | -42.4% |
| Mar 2023 | Oct 2023 | 31 | 13.0% | +20.0% | -47.2% |
| Oct 2023 | Nov 2023 | 2 | 4.7% | -4.8% | -49.0% |
| Apr 2024 | Apr 2024 | 1 | 2.2% | -9.7% | -51.4% |
| May 2024 | Jul 2024 | 8 | 9.1% | -21.2% | -51.9% |
| Sep 2024 | Sep 2024 | 1 | 3.4% | -59.1% | -51.4% |
| Sep 2024 | Ongoing | 77+ | 64.2% | Ongoing | -52.3% |
| Average | 20 | — | +14.8% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CNC below its 200-week moving average?
Yes. As of 2026-03-20, Centene Corporation (CNC) is trading 46.8% below its 200-week moving average of $64.65. The current price is $34.40.
What is CNC's 200-week moving average price?
Centene Corporation's 200-week moving average is $64.65 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when CNC drops below its 200-week moving average?
CNC has crossed below its 200-week moving average 15 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +14.8%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 20 weeks on average.
Is CNC a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about CNC as of 2026-03-20: The stock is below its 200-week moving average, which is the starting point for our analysis. The 14-week RSI is 41. Free cash flow yield is 29.9%. Return on equity is -28.7%. Price-to-book is 0.8x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does CNC compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 23.4 years, $100 invested in CNC would have grown to $1477, compared to $1062 for the S&P 500. That's 12.2% annualized vs 10.6% for the index. CNC has outperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20