HUM vs CVS vs CNC Stock Comparison

Humana, Cvs Health and Centene Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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HUM Humana Inc
$417.04 +4.7% 1M +43.5% 1Y
Market cap
$49.84B
P/E
39.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$145.68B
Div. yield
–
Managed Care Healthcare
3 wins
CVS CVS HEALTH Corp
$92.55 +3.8% 1M +13.0% 1Y
Market cap
$116.54B
P/E
23.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$415.09B
Div. yield
–
Managed Care Healthcare
7 wins
CNC Centene Corp
$68.07 +10.1% 1M +99.8% 1Y
Market cap
$33.97B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$202.94B
Div. yield
–
Managed Care Healthcare
1 win

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Cvs Health leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Cvs Health 7, Humana 3, Centene 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionHUMCVSCNCLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $49.84B $116.54B $33.97B CVS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 39.0x 23.8x -6.7x CVS
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 48.2x 10.8x 13.5x CVS
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +18.3% +7.4% +13.9% HUM
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 0.9% 1.2% -2.5% CVS
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 6.7% 5.0% -14.7% HUM
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -2.7x 3.7x 2.5x HUM
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +43.5% +13.0% +99.8% CNC
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -1.9%/yr +1.0%/yr -0.7%/yr CVS
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 48.1% 32.4% 47.5% CVS
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 45/100 53/100 49/100 CVS

Percentile Scorecard

HUMCVSCNC

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisHUMCVSCNC
Valuation 58 #11 of 25 79 #6 of 25 88 #4 of 25
Growth 13 #21 of 24 52 #12 of 24 35 #16 of 24
Profitability 44 #14 of 24 52 #12 of 24 35 #16 of 24
Financial Health 68 #9 of 26 16 #22 of 26 56 #12 of 26
Shareholder Returns 40 #10 of 16 67 #6 of 16 33 #11 of 16
Overall 45 53 49
  • HUM ranked among 27 companies in Healthcare Payers and Distributors
  • CVS ranked among 27 companies in Healthcare Payers and Distributors
  • CNC ranked among 27 companies in Healthcare Payers and Distributors

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodHUMCVSCNCSPY
1 month +4.7%+3.8%+10.1% -0.8%
3 months +9.4%-13.6%+6.2% +3.5%
6 months +86.5%+18.1%+56.5% +7.0%
Year to date +62.8%+16.6%+65.4% +12.2%
1 year +43.5%+13.0%+99.8% +13.0%
3 years -18.3%+39.6%+0.9% +86.3%
3 years, per year -6.5%+11.8%+0.3% +23.1%
5 years -9.1%+5.1%-3.5% +68.6%
5 years, per year -1.9%+1.0%-0.7% +11.0%
10 years +138.8%+5.7%+112.9% +258.0%
10 years, per year +9.1%+0.6%+7.8% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureHUMCVSCNCSPY
Volatility, 1Y 48.1%32.4%47.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 52.9%34.4%47.4% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.580.140.31 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.900.402.10 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -70.9%-60.5%-74.1% -25.4%
From 52-week high -3.8%-16.3%-4.4% -1.8%
52-week high $433.45$110.55$71.21 $779.14
52-week low $163.67$70.08$31.80 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleHUMCVSCNC
P/E now vs peer median 39.1xmedian 24.3x 24.2xmedian 24.3x -6.6xmedian 24.3x
P/S now vs peer median 0.3xmedian 0.3x 0.3xmedian 0.3x 0.2xmedian 0.3x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 11.7xmedian 13.5x 12.9xmedian 13.5x -5.2xmedian 13.5x
P/FCF now vs peer median 25.7xmedian 15.6x 10.1xmedian 15.6x 3.8xmedian 15.6x
P/B now vs peer median 2.6xmedian 2.5x 1.5xmedian 2.5x 1.5xmedian 2.5x
PEG now vs peer median -1.46median 1.33 1.33median 1.33 0.11median 1.33

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsHUMCVSCNC
Revenue $145.68B $415.09B $202.94B
Gross profit $19.89B $184.68B $43.22B
Operating income $2.71B $8.29B -$5.64B
Net income $1.29B $4.93B -$5.10B
Free cash flow $1.95B $11.76B $8.95B
EPS (diluted) $10.56 $3.80 $-10.25
Cash & equivalents $6.89B $11.33B $24.15B
Total debt $54.48B $61.41B $16.11B
Shares (diluted) 121.14M 1.29B 497.64M
Enterprise value -$38.02B $68.95B -$56.39B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricHUMCVSCNC
P/E 39.1x 24.2x -6.6x
P/FCF 25.7x 10.1x 3.8x
P/Operating cash flow 19.7x 8.0x 3.4x
P/S 0.3x 0.3x 0.2x
P/B 2.6x 1.5x 1.5x
P/Tangible book 2.6x 2.1x 1.8x
EV/EBITDA 11.7x 12.9x -5.2x
EV/EBIT 15.1x 20.0x -4.0x
EV/Revenue 0.3x 0.4x 0.1x
EV/FCF 20.9x 14.1x 2.5x
EV/Operating cash flow 16.1x 11.2x 2.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -1.46 1.33 0.11

Growth

14 metrics
MetricHUMCVSCNC
Revenue growth (1Y) 18.3% 7.4% 13.9%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 13.8% 7.0% 11.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 7.5% 6.5% 11.2%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 3.6% 11.8% 9.7%
Operating income growth (1Y) -17.9% -7.4% -394.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -15.3% 8.9% -61.1%
Net income growth (1Y) -18.3% 8.6% -348.7%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -27.4% 18.2% -57.2%
EPS growth (1Y) -19.1% 6.5% -346.3%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -26.9% 18.1% -59.8%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -13.4% 95.3% 463.5%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -42.3% -10.4% 4.4%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -20.1% 146.0% 728.8%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -45.6% -12.7% 5.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricHUMCVSCNC
Gross margin 13.7% 44.5% 21.3%
EBITDA margin 2.4% 3.1% -2.2%
Operating margin 1.9% 2.0% -2.8%
Pretax margin 1.1% 1.4% -2.3%
Net margin 0.9% 1.2% -2.5%
FCF margin 1.3% 2.8% 4.4%
Operating cash flow margin 1.7% 3.6% 4.8%
Return on equity 6.8% 6.2% -23.1%
Return on assets 2.3% 1.9% -6.2%
Return on invested capital 6.7% 5.0% -14.7%
Return on capital employed 8.1% 5.0% -13.6%
Asset turnover 2.6x 1.6x 2.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.0x 3.0x -1.9x
Stock comp / revenue 0.2% 0.2% 0.1%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricHUMCVSCNC
Debt / assets 25.5% 24.2% 19.4%
Debt / equity 0.8x 0.8x 0.7x
Net debt / EBITDA -2.7x 3.7x 2.5x
Debt / FCF 7.5x 5.2x 1.8x
Liabilities / assets 66.3% 68.5% 72.7%
Equity / assets 33.7% 31.5% 27.3%
Interest coverage 3.8x 2.7x -8.6x
Current ratio 1.7x 0.9x 1.1x
Quick ratio 1.3x 0.8x 1.1x
Cash ratio 1.0x 0.2x 0.7x
Altman Z-score 4.61 2.46 2.83

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricHUMCVSCNC
Dividend yield 0.6% 2.9% –
Net buyback yield 0.3% -0.4% 0.0%
Shareholder yield 0.9% 2.5% 0.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusHUMCVSCNC
Forward P/E 48.2xFY2026 10.8xFY2026 13.5xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $8.65FY2026 $8.59FY2026 $5.04FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -49.5%FY2026 +27.3%FY2026 +142.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +84.9% +1.7% +11.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $166.70BFY2026 $427.31BFY2026 $202.57BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +28.6%FY2026 +6.3%FY2026 +4.0%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +7.6% -4.8% -0.4%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersHUMCVSCNC
Held by institutions 98.6% 89.1% 97.9%
Institutions holding 927 2,069 999
Change in shares held, QoQ +2.7% +3.5% +2.1%
Institutions buying 558 1,101 568
Institutions selling 266 730 334
Buyers to sellers 2.10 1.51 1.70

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

HUMCVSCNC
HUM 1.00 0.54 0.49
CVS 0.54 1.00 0.48
CNC 0.49 0.48 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, HUM, CVS and CNC?

Cvs Health (CVS) is the largest by market capitalisation: Humana (HUM) $49.84B, Cvs Health (CVS) $116.54B, Centene (CNC) $33.97B.

Which stock is cheaper, HUM, CVS and CNC?

Cvs Health (CVS) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Humana (HUM) 39.0x, Cvs Health (CVS) 23.8x, Centene (CNC) -6.7x). On next year's consensus earnings, Cvs Health (CVS) is cheapest (Humana (HUM) 48.2x, Cvs Health (CVS) 10.8x, Centene (CNC) 13.5x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Humana (HUM) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Humana (HUM) +18.3%, Cvs Health (CVS) +7.4%, Centene (CNC) +13.9%.

Which company is more profitable?

Cvs Health (CVS) has the highest net margin (Humana (HUM) 0.9%, Cvs Health (CVS) 1.2%, Centene (CNC) -2.5%). On return on invested capital, Humana (HUM) leads (Humana (HUM) 6.7%, Cvs Health (CVS) 5.0%, Centene (CNC) -14.7%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Centene (CNC) returned the most: Humana (HUM) +43.5%, Cvs Health (CVS) +13.0%, Centene (CNC) +99.8%. Over five years, Cvs Health (CVS) compounded fastest (Humana (HUM) -1.9%/yr, Cvs Health (CVS) +1.0%/yr, Centene (CNC) -0.7%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Cvs Health (CVS) has been the steadiest (Humana (HUM) 48.1%, Cvs Health (CVS) 32.4%, Centene (CNC) 47.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, HUM, CVS and CNC?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Cvs Health (CVS) leads on 7. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.