Free cash flow
Centene Free cash flow increased by 1759.8% to $4.17B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 203.0%, from $1.38B to $4.17B. Over 3 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows an upward trend with a 9.5% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase suggests improved operational efficiency or reduced capital intensity, providing more flexibility for capital allocation. A decrease may indicate higher investment in R&D or infrastructure, or potential challenges in converting earnings into cash.
Detailed definition
Free cash flow represents the cash generated by a company after accounting for cash outflows to support operations and m...
Peer comparison
Large-cap medical device and pharmaceutical peers typically maintain strong, positive free cash flow, though levels vary based on the intensity of R&D spending and the lifecycle stage of major product lines.
free_cash_flowHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $1.44B | $1.58B | $427.00M | $909.00M | $3.07B | $3.09B | $4.04B | $2.33B | $885.00M | $0.00 | -$607.00M | $1.99B | -$1.13B | -$741.00M | $1.38B | $1.58B | $1.15B | $224.00M | $4.17B |
| QoQ Change | — | +9.9% | -72.9% | +112.9% | +238.0% | +0.4% | +31.1% | -42.4% | -62.0% | -100.0% | — | +427.7% | -156.9% | +34.5% | +285.6% | +14.7% | -27.4% | -80.4% | >999% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +114.1% | +95.6% | +344.9% | -24.1% | -71.3% | — | -115.0% | -14.7% | -227.8% | — | +326.5% | -20.7% | +201.2% | +130.2% | +203.0% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Centene's free cash flow?
- Centene (CNC) reported free cash flow of $4.17B in Q1 2026.
- How has Centene's free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Centene's free cash flow increased by 203.0% year-over-year, from $1.38B to $4.17B.
- What is the long-term trend for Centene's free cash flow?
- Over 3 years (2021 to 2025), Centene's free cash flow has grown at a 9.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $3.30B to $4.32B.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash remaining after a company pays for its operating expenses and capital investments.