Centene Corp vs iShares Core High Dividend ETF — how do they compare? Centene Corp trades at $65.66 (market cap $32.89B), while iShares Core High Dividend ETF trades at $29.07. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNC | HDV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $32.89B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $68.72 | $29.14 |
52-Week Low | $26.17 | $23.64 |
Enterprise Value | $21.93B | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Centene (CNC) trades at $65.77, up 2.48% with a bullish technical signal. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with EPS of $2.51 versus $1.09 estimate, driven by margin recovery and cost control. Revenue grew to $194.78B in 2025, though net income was negative at -$6.67B. Valuation ratios are attractive with P/E of 8.06 and P/S of 0.16. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 61.37% buy ratings and a $70.36 price target.
Outlook is positive due to raised 2026 guidance and operational improvements, but risks include Medicaid membership softness and persistent negative margins. The stock offers value potential if profitability rebounds as projected, though investors should monitor medical cost trends and regulatory changes affecting government healthcare programs.
HDV trades at $28.78, up 0.21% with a bullish technical signal. It yields approximately 3.1% from dividends, with recent payouts in June and July 2026. The ETF focuses on high-quality U.S. large-cap dividend stocks, outperforming the S&P 500 year-to-date by 9 percentage points. News highlights its appeal for retirement income and institutional buying, such as 180 Wealth Advisors increasing its stake by 386.2% in Q2 2026.
The outlook is positive due to strong dividend sustainability and defensive sector weighting, but risks include interest rate sensitivity and concentrated holdings. Analysts favor HDV for income-focused portfolios, citing its quality screening and lower volatility.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Centene is a managed-care organization focused on government-sponsored healthcare plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the individual exchanges. Centene served 22 million medical members as of September 2021, mostly in Medicaid (68% of membership), the individual exchanges (10%), Medicare Advantage (6%), and the balance in Tricare (West region), correctional facility, and international plans. The company also serves 4 million users through the Medicare Part D pharmaceutical program.
Read more on CNC →The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index. The underlying index is comprised of qualified income paying securities that are screened for superior company quality and financial health as determined by Morningstar, Inc.'s proprietary index methodology. The fund is non-diversified.
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