Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC) Shares Purchased by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC) by 2.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 654,251 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,066 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned about 0.13% of Centene worth $49,252,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. WR Wealth Planners LLC increased its holdings in Centene by 41.4% in the 2nd quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 468 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. raised its holdings in shares of Centene by 10.0% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,562 shares of the company’s stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Centene by 2.1% during the third quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,082 shares of the company’s stock valued at $608,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Meridian Management Co. boosted its holdings in Centene by 0.3% in the second quarter. Meridian Management Co. now owns 64,721 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,291,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Centene by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 3,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. 93.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Centene

In related news, CFO Andrew Lynn Asher purchased 17,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $58.14 per share, with a total value of $1,000,008.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 486,847 shares in the company, valued at $28,305,284.58. This trade represents a 3.66 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Sarah London acquired 4,117 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $60.80 per share, for a total transaction of $250,313.60. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 667,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $40,567,523.20. The trade was a 0.62 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Centene Stock Performance

NYSE CNC opened at $59.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $65.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.04. The company has a market cap of $30.26 billion, a PE ratio of 10.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.49. Centene Co. has a 1-year low of $57.20 and a 1-year high of $81.42.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Centene from $91.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of Centene in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Centene from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on shares of Centene from $96.00 to $88.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Centene in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Centene has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $83.92.

About Centene

Centene Corporation operates as a healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured families, commercial organizations, and military families in the United States. The company operates through Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other segments. The Medicaid segment offers health plan coverage, including medicaid expansion, aged, blind, disabled, children’s health insurance program, foster care, medicare-medicaid plans, long-term services and support.