Centene (CNC) vs Guardant Health (GH)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Guardant Health (GH) has outperformed Centene (CNC) over the past year, gaining 165.3% versus a gain of 69.2%. Over five years, GH leads with a +65.7% price change compared with -0.5% for CNC. Centene is the larger company by market cap ($31.88 billion vs $22.22 billion), about 1.4 times the size, while Guardant Health is growing revenue faster (+32.9% vs +19.4%).
Centene converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of -3.4% versus -42.4%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CNC | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $64.54 | $165.56 |
| Market cap | $31.88B | $22.22B |
| 1-day change | -0.69% | -1.65% |
| YTD return | +57.93% | +64.80% |
| 1-year return | +69.16% | +165.34% |
| 5-year return | -0.51% | +65.68% |
| Forward P/E | 12.07 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $-10.44 | $-3.50 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $194.78B | $982.02M |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +19.44% | +32.88% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $-6.67B | $-416.28M |
| Gross margin | 7.30% | 64.46% |
| Operating margin | -3.91% | -44.53% |
| Net margin | -3.43% | -42.39% |
| 52-week high | $69.63 | $191.05 |
| 52-week low | $31.63 | $61.00 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -7.31% | -13.34% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +11.22% | +20.71% |
| Average volume | 4.57M | 2.02M |
| Shares outstanding | 494.00M | 134.20M |
| Employees | 61,100 | 2,490 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Medical Specialities | Medical Specialities |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- GH has outperformed CNC by 96.2 percentage points over the past year.
- Centene is more profitable, keeping -3.4 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus -42.4 cents for Guardant Health.
- Guardant Health grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+32.88% vs +19.44%).
About Centene
CNC stock →Centene Corporation operates as a managed care company that provides programs and services to under-insured families, and commercial organizations in the United States. It operates through four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other.
Health Care · Medical Specialities · 61,100 employees
About Guardant Health
GH stock →Guardant Health, Inc., a precision oncology company, provides blood and tissue tests, and data sets in the United States and internationally. The company offers Guardant360 CDx test, a liquid biopsy test for tumor mutation profiling; Guardant360 Liquid test, which measures 740+ genes and supports all guideline-recommended biomarkers; Guardant Reveal test, a blood test that utilizes circulating tumor DNA to detect cancer at the molecular level; and Guardant360 Tissue test, a molecular profiling test for tumor tissue that provides genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic insights.
Health Care · Medical Specialities · 2,490 employees
CNC vs GH FAQ
Which is bigger, Centene or Guardant Health?
Centene (CNC) is larger, with a market capitalization of $31.88B compared with $22.22B for Guardant Health (GH).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CNC or GH?
GH returned +165.34% over the past 12 months, compared with +69.16% for CNC (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Centene and Guardant Health in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Medical Specialities industry within the Health Care sector.