CNC
Centene Corporation Healthcare - Insurance Investor Relations →
Centene Corporation (CNC) closed at $38.46 as of 2026-02-02, trading 41.7% below its 200-week moving average of $65.96. This places CNC in the extreme value zone. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from -34.6% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 56, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 1212 weeks of data, CNC has crossed below its 200-week moving average 15 times. On average, these episodes lasted 19 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 $18.9 billion, CNC is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 23.4%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at -21.9%. The stock trades at 0.9x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 14.9% over the past three years.
Over the past 23.3 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CNC would have grown to $1651, compared to $1128 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 12.8% vs 10.9% 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.
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% | +1799.3% |
| Jul 2006 | Oct 2006 | 14 | 28.8% | +41.4% | +957.3% |
| Mar 2007 | Nov 2007 | 37 | 16.2% | -21.0% | +602.1% |
| Jan 2008 | Dec 2009 | 100 | 44.0% | -24.2% | +539.7% |
| Jan 2010 | Mar 2010 | 8 | 13.1% | +27.8% | +671.5% |
| Aug 2010 | Aug 2010 | 1 | 2.4% | +41.0% | +657.8% |
| Aug 2019 | Oct 2019 | 8 | 6.6% | +39.7% | -14.0% |
| Mar 2020 | Mar 2020 | 1 | 1.7% | +31.5% | -21.3% |
| Sep 2021 | Sep 2021 | 1 | 1.3% | +54.0% | -35.6% |
| Mar 2023 | Oct 2023 | 31 | 13.0% | +20.0% | -40.9% |
| Oct 2023 | Nov 2023 | 2 | 4.7% | -4.8% | -43.0% |
| Apr 2024 | Apr 2024 | 1 | 2.2% | -9.7% | -45.6% |
| May 2024 | Jul 2024 | 8 | 9.1% | -21.2% | -46.3% |
| Sep 2024 | Sep 2024 | 1 | 3.4% | -59.1% | -45.7% |
| Sep 2024 | Ongoing | 71+ | 64.2% | Ongoing | -46.6% |
| Average | 19 | — | +14.8% | — |
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 Friday close, 2026-02-02