Buyback yield (TTM)
2.87%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
2.87%
5Y share count change
-15.2%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$463.00M
Cumulative buybacks
$9.70B
Key takeaways
- Centene (CNC) repurchased about $463.00M of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 15.2% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 3.01× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at -5.4% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 7% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Centene (CNC)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Centene (CNC)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Centene (CNC)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Centene (CNC)
Latest: $475.00M
Overview
As of the 2025 fiscal year, Centene (CNC) reported buyback spend of $475.00M – plunged 84.8% year-over-year.
Over 2020–2025 (5 years), Centene buyback spend expanded at a -5.4% compound annual rate, with a net decline across the window.
Centene buyback spend plunged from $3.12B in 2024 to $475.00M in 2025, a 84.8% drawdown.
2024 marks the peak buyback spend at $3.12B, with the historical low of $0.00 recorded in 2000.
Centene Buyback Spend 2025: $475.00M
2025's buyback spend for Centene came in at $475.00M, plunged 84.8% below 2024.
Centene Buyback Spend 2024: $3.12B
Centene posted buyback spend of $3.12B in 2024, surged 91.3% from 2023. This figure represents the highest annual value in the available history.
Centene Buyback Spend 2023: $1.63B
In 2023, Centene reported buyback spend of $1.63B, plunged 47.3% below 2022.
Centene Buyback Spend 2022: $3.10B
Centene buyback spend in 2022 was $3.10B, surged 942.4% from 2021.
Centene Buyback Spend 2021: $297.00M
Centene buyback spend in 2021 was $297.00M.
See more financial history for Centene (CNC).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $475.00M | $204.00M | $271.00M | 2.35% | 0.49B | -6.2% | |
| 2024 | $3.12B | $212.00M | $2.91B | 10.30% | 0.52B | -4.0% | |
| 2023 | $1.63B | $216.00M | $1.42B | 4.12% | 0.55B | -6.2% | |
| 2022 | $3.10B | $234.00M | $2.86B | 6.74% | 0.58B | -1.4% | |
| 2021 | $297.00M | $203.00M | $94.00M | 0.62% | 0.59B | +2.0% | |
| 2020 | $626.00M | $281.00M | $345.00M | 1.86% | 0.58B | +37.8% | |
| 2019 | $75.00M | $177.00M | −$102.00M | 0.29% | 0.42B | +5.5% | |
| 2018 | $71.00M | $145.00M | −$74.00M | 0.30% | 0.40B | +12.9% | |
| 2017 | $65.00M | $135.00M | −$70.00M | 0.37% | 0.35B | +7.7% | |
| 2016 | $63.00M | $148.00M | −$85.00M | 0.65% | 0.33B | +33.2% | |
| 2015 | $53.00M | $71.00M | −$18.00M | 0.67% | 0.25B | +2.2% | |
| 2014 | $29.00M | $48.00M | −$19.00M | 0.47% | 0.24B | +7.0% | |
| 2013 | $19.78M | $36.66M | −$16.88M | 0.61% | 0.22B | +4.7% | |
| 2012 | $12.74M | $25.33M | −$12.59M | 0.60% | 0.21B | +2.4% | |
| 2011 | $7.81M | $18.17M | −$10.36M | 0.39% | 0.21B | +4.0% | |
| 2010 | $3.22M | $13.87M | −$10.65M | 0.26% | 0.20B | +13.8% | |
| 2009 | $6.30M | $14.63M | −$8.33M | 0.69% | 0.18B | -0.2% | |
| 2008 | $23.51M | $15.33M | $8.18M | 2.76% | 0.18B | -0.9% | |
| 2007 | $9.54M | $15.78M | −$6.24M | 0.80% | 0.18B | +3.9% | |
| 2006 | $7.83M | $14.90M | −$7.07M | 0.74% | 0.17B | -4.1% | |
| 2005 | $0.00 | $4.97M | −$4.97M | — | 0.18B | +3.2% | |
| 2004 | $0.00 | $650.00K | −$650.00K | — | 0.17B | +13.5% | |
| 2003 | $0.00 | $188.00K | −$188.00K | — | 0.15B | +10.0% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.14B | +45.2% | |
| 2001 | $102.00K | $0.00 | $102.00K | — | 0.10B | +17.6% | |
| 2000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.08B | — |
- 2025$475.00M
- 2024$3.12B
- 2023$1.63B
- 2022$3.10B
- 2021$297.00M
- 2020$626.00M
- 2019$75.00M
- 2018$71.00M
- 2017$65.00M
- 2016$63.00M
- 2015$53.00M
- 2014$29.00M
- 2013$19.78M
- 2012$12.74M
- 2011$7.81M
- 2010$3.22M
- 2009$6.30M
- 2008$23.51M
- 2007$9.54M
- 2006$7.83M
- 2005$0.00
- 2004$0.00
- 2003$0.00
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$102.00K
- 2000$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Centene (CNC)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 3.01×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Centene (CNC)
How Centene splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Centene, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $5.95B | |
| $5.54B | |
| $5.08B | |
| $4.11B | |
| $980.00M | |
| $216.35M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $5.95B
- $5.54B
- $5.08B
- $4.11B
- $980.00M
- $216.35M
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $6.35B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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