Centene reported a $253 million loss in its second quarter as the provider of government-subsidized health benefits struggles to manage costs of its health plan members.

Shares of health coverage company Centene (NYSE:CNC) jumped 5.9% in the afternoon session after the company reported second-quarter results that missed earnings estimates, but the stock rallied as investors looked past the disappointment as sales came in ahead of expectations.

Wall Street regained confidence in Medicaid insurers after Centene said on Friday it expects to be able to raise rates charged to states for 2026 health plans for low-income Americans and strengthen profit margins.

The St. Louis-based payer slipped into the red during the second quarter for the first time since 2022. Centene executives said they were disappointed and frustrated by the results.

Centene’s stock pulled a sharp U-turn into the green, after the health insurer helped assuage investor worries by providing details on its full-year outlook, and by suggesting the worst will pass soon.

Centene is responding by repricing plans for 2026 and focusing on cost controls while Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug segments outperform expectations. Learn more on CNC stock here.

Centene Corp. issued fresh annual guidance and laid out a plan to address problems in its Affordable Care Act business, offering investors a ray of hope in a year when insurers across the industry have struggled to cope with rising costs and changing government policies.

Intel stock falls after the chip maker reports a wider loss in the second quarter, while Centene rises even as it posts a surprise quarterly loss.

Q2 2025 Management View CEO Sarah M. London reported, "We reported second quarter results for 2025, inclusive of an adjusted per share loss of $0.16. We are disappointed by this performance and frustrated to have fallen short of the financial goals we set at the start of the year.