Question 1

What is Centene's P/E ratio?

Accepted Answer

Centene (CNC) P/E ratio is 8.0× as of October 28, 2025. The ratio is calculated by dividing market capitalisation by trailing twelve-month earnings (net income), using USD-normalised financials (IAS 21 exchange-rate translation for non-USD reporters).

Question 2

How is the P/E ratio calculated?

Accepted Answer

P/E = Share Price ÷ Trailing Twelve-Month (TTM) Diluted EPS, or equivalently Market Capitalisation ÷ TTM Net Income. All inputs are sourced from audited GAAP/IFRS filings and translated to USD using period-end exchange rates so the multiple is comparable across companies and currencies.

Question 3

What is the P/E ratio?

Accepted Answer

The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, also called the earnings multiple, measures how much investors pay per dollar of a company's trailing twelve-month (TTM) earnings. It is calculated as share price ÷ TTM diluted EPS (equivalent to market capitalisation ÷ TTM net income). A higher P/E implies the market is pricing in stronger future earnings growth or lower risk; a lower P/E can signal slower expected growth, higher risk, or potential undervaluation.

Question 4

What is a good P/E ratio for Centene?

Accepted Answer

There is no universal "good" P/E. As a rule of thumb, the S&P 500 has historically averaged a P/E in the mid-to-high teens; mature, slow-growth businesses commonly trade in the 10–18× range, while high-growth or asset-light companies often trade at 25–50×+. What matters is the comparison to sector peers and to the company's own historical range. For Centene specifically, the relevant sector benchmark is the current sector median of 24.2×.

Question 5

Is Centene's P/E ratio high or low?

Accepted Answer

Centene's P/E ratio of 8.0× is below its own 5-year average of 23.7× and below the sector median of 24.2×. That places the current reading at the 7th percentile of its 10-year history. A higher multiple usually reflects stronger expected growth, lower perceived risk, or higher returns on capital; a lower multiple reflects the opposite.

Question 6

What is Centene's historical P/E ratio range?

Accepted Answer

In the available daily series, Centene (CNC) P/E ratio has ranged from a low of 3.9× in 2025 to a high of 2643.4× in 2013. The 5-year average is 23.7× and the 5-year median is 15.2×.

Question 7

What was Centene's P/E ratio in 2024?

Accepted Answer

Centene (CNC) P/E ratio at the end of 2024 was 9.2×. Annual values reflect the multiple on the last trading day of each calendar year, using the trailing twelve-month earnings figure available at that date.

Question 8

Why does Centene's P/E ratio change over time?

Accepted Answer

Valuation multiples move with two inputs: the numerator (market capitalisation, which tracks the share price) and the denominator (earnings). Share-price changes — driven by interest rates, earnings expectations, risk appetite, and broader market sentiment — typically dominate short-term moves, while changes in the underlying fundamental drive the longer-term trend. As a result, the ratio can rise during stock-price rallies even if the business itself has not become more valuable, and fall during sell-offs even when fundamentals are improving.


2025	$20.2B	-$6.67B	—	—	Dec 31, 2025
2024	$30.3B	$3.31B	9.2×	-5.5×	Dec 31, 2024
2023	$39.6B	$2.7B	14.7×	-23.5×	Dec 31, 2023
2022	$45.9B	$1.2B	38.2×	+2.5×	Dec 31, 2022
2021	$48.1B	$1.35B	35.7×	+17.1×	Dec 31, 2021
2020	$33.7B	$1.81B	18.6×	-1.1×	Dec 31, 2020
2019	$26B	$1.32B	19.7×	-6.6×	Dec 31, 2019
2018	$23.7B	$900M	26.3×	+5.3×	Dec 31, 2018
2017	$17.4B	$828M	21.1×	+4.0×	Dec 31, 2017
2016	$9.67B	$566M	17.1×	-5.1×	Dec 31, 2016
2015	$7.86B	$355M	22.2×	-0.4×	Dec 31, 2015
2014	$6.11B	$271M	22.6×	+3.0×	Dec 31, 2014
2013	$3.24B	$165M	19.6×	-1123.2×	Dec 31, 2013
2012	$2.12B	$1.86M	1142.8×	+1124.8×	Dec 31, 2012
2011	$2B	$111M	18.0×	+5.0×	Dec 31, 2011
2010	$1.24B	$94.8M	13.0×	+2.1×	Dec 31, 2010
2009	$911M	$83.7M	10.9×	+0.7×	Dec 31, 2009
2008	$853M	$83.5M	10.2×	-6.1×	Dec 31, 2008
2007	$1.19B	$73.4M	16.3×	—	Dec 31, 2007
2006	$1.06B	-$43.6M	—	—	Dec 31, 2006
2005	$1.11B	$55.6M	20.0×	-6.1×	Dec 31, 2005
2004	$1.16B	$44.3M	26.1×	+11.1×	Dec 31, 2004
2003	$500M	$33.3M	15.0×	+1.3×	Dec 31, 2003
2002	$352M	$25.6M	13.7×	—	Dec 31, 2002


Medtronic (MDT)	22.2×
McKesson (MCK)	22.2×
Illumina (ILMN)	21.7×
ResMed (RMD)	21.6×
GE HealthCare (GEHC)	21.6×
Pfizer (PFE)	21.1×
Quest Diagnostics (DGX)	21.1×
Henry Schein (HSIC)	21.0×
AptarGroup (ATR)	20.9×
IQVIA (IQV)	20.7×
Biogen (BIIB)	19.7×
Zoetis (ZTS)	18.9×
Gilead Sciences (GILD)	18.8×
Humana (HUM)	18.5×
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN)	18.2×
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)	17.0×
Elevance Health (ELV)	17.0×
HCA Healthcare (HCA)	15.8×
AstraZeneca (AZN)	14.7×
DaVita (DVA)	13.3×
Incyte (INCY)	13.1×
Cigna (CI)	11.1×
Novo Nordisk (NVO)	8.6×
Solventum (SOLV)	7.9×
Universal Health Services (UHS)	7.2×

P/E Ratio for Centene (CNC) 2002-2026

P/E Ratio daily chart for Centene (CNC)

Historical P/E Ratio for Centene (CNC) from 2002 to 2025

About P/E Ratio at Centene (CNC)

Centene P/E Ratio by Year

Centene P/E Ratio 2024: 9.2×

Centene P/E Ratio 2023: 14.7×

Centene P/E Ratio 2022: 38.2×

Centene P/E Ratio 2021: 35.7×

Centene P/E Ratio 2020: 18.6×

Sector peers by P/E Ratio — chart

Sector peers by P/E Ratio — table

Frequently asked questions

Centene (CNC) Key Financials