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Centene vs Elevance Health: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Elevance Health leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. Centene still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup broadly confirms the structural lead — Elevance Health holds the more constructive position. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — Elevance Health's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The comparison is mainly decided in profitability, while growth remains the main counterforce.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Healthcare Plans

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CNC and ELV share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Centene and Elevance Health each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CNC
Centene Corporation
48
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
ELV
Elevance Health, Inc.
55
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in profitability.

Dimension spread: CNC vs ELV Profitability 19 65 Stability 27 34 Valuation 86 85 Growth 56 17 CNC ELV
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +46
#2 Growth +39
#3 Stability +7
#4 Valuation +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CNC and ELV Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CNCELV Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup remains mixed because the stronger profile and the more supportive price setup do not sit on the same side.

Valuation position uses Forward P/E and peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CNC and ELV each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CNC Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 13 pct gap ELV Neutral · near norm 0th 50th 100th 23rd 35th
CNC (23rd percentile) and ELV (35th percentile) sit at comparable positions within their own 5-year histories. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, Elevance Health, Inc. ranks near the top of the group; Centene Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Growth
Centene Corporation sits in the stronger part of the group on growth, while Elevance Health, Inc. is closer to mid-pack.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
CNC
19
ELV
65
Gap+46in favour of ELV

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 60-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Earnings growth also leans toward CNC, which keeps the score lead from reading as a full growth sweep.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability gives Elevance Health, Inc. the clearer edge, even though growth and the price setup keep the overall picture from looking clean.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CNC vs ELV comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how CNC and ELV each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.