Centene Corp vs Lumen Technologies Inc — how do they compare? Centene Corp trades at $66.93 (market cap $32.05B), while Lumen Technologies Inc trades at $6.32 (market cap $6.58B). The key difference: Centene Corp is far larger — about 4.9× Lumen Technologies Inc's market cap, and Centene Corp is trading nearer its 52-week high, Lumen Technologies Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNC | LUMN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $32.05B | $6.58B |
Sector | Health | Media |
52-Week High | $68.72 | $11.83 |
52-Week Low | $26.17 | $3.95 |
Enterprise Value | $21.10B | $18.20B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Centene (CNC) trades at $66.94, up 0.57% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong analyst support. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates with EPS of $2.51 versus $1.09 expected, driven by margin recovery and cost control. The stock shows attractive valuation metrics, including a P/E of 8.06 and P/S of 0.16, while revenue growth remains robust at $194.78B in 2025.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $71.00, though risks include Medicaid membership volatility and net income margin pressure. The company's raised 2026 EPS guidance and operational cash flow strength support upside potential, but investors should weigh competitive and regulatory challenges in the managed care sector.
LUMN trades at $6.33, down 4.67% today, with a bearish technical signal and neutral oscillators. Revenue declined to $12.40B in 2025, with a net loss of $1.74B, though Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates. The company is shifting to digital services, with strategic revenues growing 14.1% in Q2 2026. High debt of $17.49B remains a concern, but positive cash flow from operations of $4.74B in 2025 supports liquidity.
Outlook is mixed: analyst consensus price target is $7.67 with a hold-heavy rating, indicating cautious optimism. Risks include persistent revenue declines and heavy debt load, but opportunities lie in digital transformation and AI-driven growth. CEO share purchases and institutional holdings suggest insider confidence amid challenges.
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 →With 450,000 route miles of fiber, including over 35,000 route miles of subsea fiber connecting Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Lumen Technologies is one of the United States' largest telecommunications carriers serving global enterprises. Its merger with Level 3 further shifted the company's operations toward businesses (over 70% of revenue) and away from its legacy consumer business. Lumen offers businesses a full menu of communications services, providing colocation and data center services, data transportation, and end-user phone and internet service. On the consumer side, Lumen provides broadband and phone service across 37 states, where it has 4.5 million broadband customers.
Read more on LUMN →