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Side-by-side financial comparison of Centene Corporation (CNC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Centene Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($44.7B vs $19.1B, roughly 2.3× HCA Healthcare). HCA Healthcare runs the higher net margin — 9.7% vs -2.5%, a 12.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Centene Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (23.2% vs 4.3%). Over the past eight quarters, Centene Corporation's revenue compounded faster (10.9% CAGR vs 4.5%).
Centene Corporation is an American for-profit healthcare company based in the Greater St. Louis area, which is an intermediary for government-sponsored and privately insured healthcare programs. Centene ranked No. 23 on the 2025 Fortune 500.
HCA Healthcare, Inc. is an American global for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owned and operated 186 hospitals and approximately 2,400 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics in 20 states and the United Kingdom.
CNC vs HCA — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $44.7B | $19.1B |
| Net Profit | $-1.1B | $1.9B |
| Gross Margin | 5.7% | — |
| Operating Margin | -3.9% | — |
| Net Margin | -2.5% | 9.7% |
| Revenue YoY | 23.2% | 4.3% |
| Net Profit YoY | -489.0% | 1.8% |
| EPS (diluted) | $-2.15 | $7.15 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q1 26 | — | $19.1B | ||
| Q4 25 | $44.7B | $19.5B | ||
| Q3 25 | $44.9B | $19.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $42.5B | $18.6B | ||
| Q1 25 | $42.5B | $18.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $36.3B | $18.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $36.9B | $17.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $36.0B | $17.5B |
| Q1 26 | — | $1.9B | ||
| Q4 25 | $-1.1B | $1.9B | ||
| Q3 25 | $-6.6B | $1.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-253.0M | $1.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.3B | $1.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $283.0M | $1.4B | ||
| Q3 24 | $713.0M | $1.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | $1.5B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 5.7% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 7.5% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 7.1% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 12.4% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 10.5% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 10.9% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 12.6% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | -3.9% | 13.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | -15.5% | 12.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | -1.1% | 13.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.6% | 12.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.5% | 11.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.8% | 10.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.4% | 12.8% |
| Q1 26 | — | 9.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | -2.5% | 9.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | -14.8% | 8.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | -0.6% | 8.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.1% | 8.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.8% | 7.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.9% | 7.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.2% | 8.4% |
| Q1 26 | — | $7.15 | ||
| Q4 25 | $-2.15 | $8.09 | ||
| Q3 25 | $-13.50 | $6.96 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.51 | $6.83 | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.63 | $6.45 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.63 | $5.66 | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.36 | $4.88 | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.16 | $5.53 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $20.3B | $940.0M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $17.5B | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $20.0B | — |
| Total Assets | $76.7B | $19.3B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.88× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $940.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $20.3B | $1.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $19.2B | $997.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $17.3B | $939.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $17.3B | $1.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $16.7B | $1.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $17.6B | $2.9B | ||
| Q2 24 | $20.2B | $831.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $17.5B | $44.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $42.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $42.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $44.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $18.6B | $43.0B | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $43.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $40.9B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $20.0B | $-6.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $20.9B | $-5.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $27.4B | $-4.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $27.9B | $-3.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $26.4B | $-2.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $27.3B | $-2.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $27.4B | $-1.6B |
| Q1 26 | — | $19.3B | ||
| Q4 25 | $76.7B | $60.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $82.1B | $59.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $86.4B | $59.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $87.0B | $59.8B | ||
| Q4 24 | $82.4B | $59.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $82.4B | $59.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $83.1B | $57.4B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.88× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.71× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $437.0M | $2.0B |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $224.0M | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 0.5% | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 0.5% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 1.08× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $4.3B | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $2.0B | ||
| Q4 25 | $437.0M | $2.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.4B | $4.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.8B | $4.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.5B | $1.7B | ||
| Q4 24 | $-587.0M | $2.6B | ||
| Q3 24 | $-978.0M | $3.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.2B | $2.0B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $224.0M | $870.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.1B | $3.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.6B | $3.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.4B | $660.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-741.0M | $1.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $-1.1B | $2.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.0B | $690.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.5% | 4.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.6% | 16.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.7% | 16.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.2% | 3.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | -2.0% | 7.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | -3.1% | 13.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 5.5% | 3.9% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.5% | 7.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.5% | 6.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.5% | 6.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.3% | 5.4% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.4% | 7.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.4% | 6.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.5% | 7.3% |
| Q1 26 | — | 1.08× | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 1.26× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 2.69× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 2.55× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.15× | 1.03× | ||
| Q4 24 | -2.07× | 1.78× | ||
| Q3 24 | -1.37× | 2.77× | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.90× | 1.35× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
CNC
| Total Premium And Service | $23.0B | 52% |
| Commercial Segment | $10.8B | 24% |
| Medicare Segment | $9.6B | 21% |
| Services | $749.0M | 2% |
HCA
Segment breakdown not available.
