-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
We raise our 12-month price target by $13 to $55, 16.2x our 2026 EPS estimate, above CNC's five- and 10-year historical forward averages of 12.8x and 13.9x, respectively. Our 2026 EPS estimate is up to $3.40 from $3.00, while our 2027 estimate is down $0.02 to $4.01. Shares jumped following a Q1 EPS beat and guidance raise, highlighted by a modest improvement in the health benefits ratio to 87.3% from 87.5% in the prior-year quarter. Results were aided by a more moderate flu/respiratory illness season, though persistent drivers of higher medical costs persist, such as behavioral health utilization and high-cost prescription drug volumes. As the nation's largest Medicaid insurer, CNC maintained a confident outlook despite looming challenges for membership and funding under the OBBBA legislation, in our view. Management called out the upcoming implementation of new Medicaid work requirements in Nebraska as a meaningful case study for potential impacts on other states.