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Centene vs Humana: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Humana carrying a narrow edge on profitability. Centene still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. On the market side, Humana is in better shape — its trend is intact while Centene's trend has broken down. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — Humana'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

Profitability is the clearest driver, while valuation keeps the result from looking one-way.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Healthcare Plans

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

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Centene and Humana 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
HUM
Humana Inc.
53
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 HUM Profitability 19 67 Stability 27 22 Valuation 86 50 Growth 56 67 CNC HUM
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +48
#2 Valuation +36
#3 Growth +11
#4 Stability +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CNC and HUM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CNCHUM Relative valuation Structural strength

Humana Inc. occupies the cheaper side of the setup map, although Centene Corporation still holds the stronger structural profile.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CNC Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 12 pct gap HUM Neutral · above norm 0th 50th 100th 23rd 34th
CNC (23rd percentile) and HUM (34th 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
Humana Inc. ranks near the top of the group on profitability; Centene Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Valuation
On valuation, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but Centene Corporation still leads clearly.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
CNC
19
HUM
67
Gap+48in favour of HUM

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 61-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for Centene, with a forward P/E that is 6.8 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The page question resolves through profitability, but valuation and current pricing still keep the broader comparison from reading as fully aligned.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how CNC and HUM 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.