Centene Stock Down 40% — May Slide On $1 Trillion Medicaid Cuts

Core Insights - The Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBBA) is projected to cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, which constitutes 62% of Centene's 2024 revenue [2][4] - Centene's stock experienced a 40% decline following the withdrawal of its 2025 revenue guidance due to an independent actuary's report indicating overly optimistic revenue assumptions [2][3] - S&P Global Ratings is contemplating downgrading Centene's credit rating to junk status, which could increase the company's cost of capital [4][14] Financial Performance - Centene's revenue from Medicaid was $101.4 billion, representing 62% of total revenue for 2024, while Medicare contributed 14% and the Commercial Marketplace business unit accounted for 21% [7] - In Q1 2025, Centene reported a 15.4% increase in revenue to $46.6 billion, exceeding analyst expectations [16] - The company’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for Q1 2025 was $2.90, which was 22.9% higher than consensus estimates [16] Market Impact - The BBBA's Medicaid cuts could reduce Centene's revenue growth rate by one percentage point annually over the next five years, from 5% to 4% [13] - Analysts have expressed concerns about the potential for Centene's EPS forecast to be significantly lowered, with estimates suggesting a possible reduction of $2.75 [11][12] - Despite the negative outlook, some analysts believe Centene is significantly undervalued, with a 12-month price target averaging $63.08, indicating a potential upside of nearly 91% [20] Strategic Concerns - The withdrawal of revenue guidance has raised questions about Centene's future profitability and capital adequacy, leading to increased scrutiny from credit rating agencies [15] - The company faces challenges in offsetting potential revenue losses from Medicaid cuts with other business lines [8] - The healthcare sector, particularly managed care, is viewed as increasingly risky by some analysts, with concerns that conditions may worsen before improving [19]