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Compare Stocks › CNC vs PFE

Centene Corporation (CNC) vs Pfizer Inc. (PFE)

CNC
Centene Corporation
$35.57
VS
PFE
Pfizer Inc.
$27.41

Rewards

CNC
  • ★Share count has been reduced by 11% over the past 4 years through buybacks, increasing each share's claim on earnings.
  • ★FCF yield of 28.9% is historically attractive — the business generates significant cash relative to its price.
  • ★Net debt/EBITDA of -0.8x means the company holds more cash than debt — a net cash position.
PFE
  • ★Gross margin of 75.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • ★Dividend yield of 6.28% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.
  • ★FCF yield of 8.6% is historically attractive — the business generates significant cash relative to its price.

Risks

CNC
  • ⚠ROIC has declined by 7.0 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
  • ⚠Gross margin of 10.5% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 6.3% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
PFE
  • ⚠ROIC has declined by 13.9 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
  • ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 29.6% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.

Key Valuation Metrics

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CNC
PFE
Valuation
$5.05B
Free Cash Flow
$13.43B
28.89%
FCF Yield
8.61%
N/A
Trailing P/E
20.15
8.69
Forward P/E
9.69
Quality & Moat
-6.84%
ROIC
7.67%
-33.28%
ROE
8.96%
10.47%
Gross Margin
75.81%
N/A
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
0.91
Debt / Equity
0.78
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-0.84
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.10
N/A
Dividend Yield
6.28%
CNC: 3Ties: 1PFE: 5
CNCPFE

Historical Fundamentals

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CNC

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

PFE

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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CNC
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-667.0M
Δ Market Cap
$-24.93B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
PFE
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-10.61B
Δ Market Cap
$-146.18B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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CNC
95.3% Margin of Safety
Price is 95.3% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $35.57
Fair Value: $751.43
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
PFE
140.2% Overvalued
Price is 140.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $27.41
Fair Value: $11.41
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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CNC

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $36?

-20.5%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate

Market below historical growth — potential opportunity.

PFE

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $27?

+11.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +4.3%

The market implies +11.8% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +4.3%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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CNC
37/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
PFE
35/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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CNC
-3.03
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
PFE
-2.53
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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CNC
Insiders 0.7%Institutions 98.3%Retail & Other 1.0%
No. of Institutional Holders1,282
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
PFE
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 67.7%Retail & Other 32.2%
No. of Institutional Holders3,693
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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CNC
0
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $738,945
LONDON SARAH M.
Chief Executive Officer
$490,365
@ $25.50 · 2025-08-08
SAMUELS THEODORE R II
Director
$248,580
@ $27.62 · 2025-07-28
GRECO THOMAS R
Director
$1.02M
@ $59.75 · 2024-12-18
COUGHLIN CHRISTOPHER J
Director
$594,400
@ $59.44 · 2024-12-16
DALLAS HIRAM JAMES
Director
$99,904
@ $59.01 · 2024-12-16
BLUME JESSICA L
Director
$14,870
@ $59.48 · 2024-12-16
SAMUELS THEODORE R II
Director
$294,300
@ $58.86 · 2024-12-13
ASHER ANDREW LYNN
Chief Financial Officer
$1.00M
@ $58.14 · 2024-11-13
LONDON SARAH M.
Chief Executive Officer
$250,314
@ $60.80 · 2024-11-08
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
PFE
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
BLAYLOCK RONALD E
Director
$499,072
@ $25.65 · 2025-02-13
GOTTLIEB SCOTT
Director
$28,240
@ $28.24 · 2024-10-30
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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CNC
0
Sells (3M)
1
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $2.58M
BURDICK KENNETH A
Director
$2.58M
@ $39.02 · 2025-12-04
FASOLA KENNETH J
President
$620,960
@ $77.62 · 2024-05-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
PFE
0
Sells (3M)
0
Sells (12M)
DAMICO JENNIFER B.
Officer
$64,825
@ $25.93 · 2025-03-04
DAMICO JENNIFER B.
Officer
$147,714
@ $28.66 · 2024-08-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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CNC
FearGreed
😨Fear(28/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
PFE
FearGreed
😏Greed(64/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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CNC
⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (28)
PFE
⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (64)
View CNC Full AnalysisView PFE Full Analysis