S&P 500 Stock Centene Dives On Medicaid Outlook

S&P 500 health insurer Centene blew away Q2 earnings forecasts amid lower-than-expected Affordable Care Act Marketplace benefit costs. CNC stock initially moved higher, but shares reversed sharply lower as the company discussed its outlook, including slightly higher Medicaid attrition and a more costly covered population in the second half of 2026. Centene posted Q2 earnings of $2.51 a share, crushing forecasts of $1.09 by $1.42 a share.