Centene Corp vs Lamb Weston Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Centene Corp trades at $66.87 (market cap $33.93B), while Lamb Weston Holdings Inc trades at $46.84 (market cap $6.42B). The key difference: Centene Corp is far larger — about 5.3× Lamb Weston Holdings Inc's market cap, and Lamb Weston Holdings Inc pays a 3.27% dividend while Centene Corp pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNC | LW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $33.93B | $6.42B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $68.72 | $66.57 |
52-Week Low | $25.21 | $38.48 |
Enterprise Value | $26.56B | $10.38B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.27% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Centene Corporation (CNC) trades at $68.29, up 1.4% with strong technical momentum and bullish moving average signals. The stock shows impressive 66% YTD gains, supported by recent contract renewals and margin recovery initiatives. Despite negative 2025 net income of -$6.67B, valuation metrics remain attractive with P/E of 8.06 and P/S of 0.17. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 61% buy ratings and $66.07 price target.
Centene presents a compelling value opportunity with low valuation multiples and strong operational cash flow of $5.09B. Key risks include ongoing margin pressure and Medicaid contract dependency. The company's AI-driven cost controls and recent Illinois Medicaid renewal provide catalysts for earnings recovery, though healthcare regulatory changes remain a concern for long-term stability.
Lamb Weston (LW) trades at $46.98, up 1.14% with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats. The company shows strong operational cash flow of $868.3M in 2025 and maintains positive revenue growth, though net income margin declined to 4.61%. Recent news highlights the 'Focus to Win' strategy showing early traction with North America volume gains and cost savings.
Outlook remains cautiously optimistic with analyst consensus price target of $49.33 offering 5% upside. Key risks include ongoing securities litigation and margin pressure from competitive dynamics. Institutional sentiment leans positive with activist involvement signaling potential value creation opportunities.
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 →Lamb Weston is the world's second-largest producer of branded and private-label frozen potato products, such as French fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, diced potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns, and chips. The company also has a small appetizer business that produces onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and cheese curds. Including joint ventures, 63% of fiscal 2022 revenue was U.S.-based, with the remainder stemming from Europe, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, and several other countries. Lamb Weston's customer mix is estimated 58% quick-serve restaurants, 19% full-service restaurants, 8% other food services (hotels, commercial cafeterias, arenas, schools), and 16% retail. Lamb Weston became an independent company in 2016 when it was spun off from Conagra.
Read more on LW →