Centene (CNC) Q4 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates

Core Insights - Centene reported revenue of $40.81 billion for the quarter ended December 2024, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 3.4% and surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $38.96 billion by 4.75% [1] - The company's EPS for the quarter was $0.80, significantly higher than the $0.45 reported in the same quarter last year, resulting in an EPS surprise of 63.27% compared to the consensus estimate of $0.49 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Total Medical Health Benefits loss ratio was reported at 89.6%, slightly better than the average estimate of 90% from five analysts [4] - Membership in Traditional Medicaid reached 11.41 million, exceeding the average estimate of 11.38 million [4] - Total Medicaid membership was reported at 13 million, above the average estimate of 12.98 million [4] - High Acuity Medicaid membership was consistent with estimates at 1.6 million [4] - Premium and service revenues totaled $36.30 billion, surpassing the average estimate of $35.50 billion and showing a year-over-year increase of 2.7% [4] - Premium revenues were reported at $35.52 billion, exceeding the estimate of $34.71 billion and reflecting a 3.8% year-over-year increase [4] - Service revenues were $777 million, slightly below the average estimate of $782.17 million, marking a significant year-over-year decline of 29.8% [4] - Premium tax revenues reached $4.51 billion, well above the average estimate of $3.07 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 9.4% [4] - Commercial premium and service revenues were reported at $8.72 billion, exceeding the estimate of $8.47 billion and showing a year-over-year increase of 17.8% [4] - Medicare premium and service revenues were $5.48 billion, slightly below the average estimate of $5.70 billion, with a year-over-year increase of 3.5% [4] - Medicaid premium and service revenues totaled $20.83 billion, surpassing the average estimate of $20.16 billion, but reflecting a year-over-year decline of 1.4% [4] - Other premium and service revenues were reported at $1.27 billion, exceeding the estimate of $1.19 billion, but showing a year-over-year decline of 16.8% [4] Stock Performance - Centene's shares have returned 3.4% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which saw a 1% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]