Centene Corp vs Nasdaq Inc — how do they compare? Centene Corp trades at $66.53 (market cap $33.93B), while Nasdaq Inc trades at $90.77 (market cap $49.77B). The key difference: Nasdaq Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Nasdaq Inc pays a 1.27% dividend while Centene Corp pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNC | NDAQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $33.93B | $49.77B |
Sector | Health | Financials |
52-Week High | $68.72 | $100.98 |
52-Week Low | $25.21 | $76.85 |
Enterprise Value | $26.56B | $56.84B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.27% |
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.
Nasdaq (NDAQ) trades at $89.21, up 1.28% with a bullish technical signal and strong earnings momentum, beating estimates for three consecutive quarters. The company reported robust 2025 revenue of $8.26 billion and net income of $1.79 billion, with a net margin of 23.03%. Recent news highlights include SK Hynix's Nasdaq debut and positive analyst coverage, with 61% of analysts rating it a buy.
Outlook remains positive given earnings consistency and a $105.60 consensus price target, but risks include high valuation multiples and debt levels. Cash flow volatility from investing and financing activities warrants monitoring, though operational strength supports growth prospects.
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 →Founded in 1971, Nasdaq is primarily known for its equity exchange, but in addition to its market-services business (about 35% of sales), the company sells and distributes market data as well as offers Nasdaq-branded indexes to asset managers and investors through its information-services segment (30%). Nasdaq's corporate-services business (20%) offers listing services and related investor relations products to publicly traded companies and through the company's market technology group (15%), Nasdaq facilitates the exchange operations of other exchanges throughout the world and provides financial compliance services.
Read more on NDAQ →