CNC vs. FMS: Centene vs. Fresenius Medical Care Stock Comparison
How do Centene (CNC) and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Centene (CNC) and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) both belong to the Health Care Providers & Services industry, though CNC is classified under Managed Health Care while FMS falls under Health Care Services.
Centene (CNC) trades as ordinary local shares, while Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Centene Corp. | Fresenius Medical Care AG - Depositary Receipt |
| Country/Region | United States | Germany |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Health Care Equipment & Services | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Providers & Services | Health Care Providers & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Managed Health Care | Health Care Services |
| Market Capitalization | 34.53 billion USD | 12.15 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 13, 2001 | September 17, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 84.77% | -0.71% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -0.97% | 13.88% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -1.48% | -4.69% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 46.34% | 30.61% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.07 | 0.77 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -74.07% | -62.33% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.63M | 954.21K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.74 | -0.16 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.71 | -0.21 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Centene (CNC) at 6.74% and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 7.84% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
6.74%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- CNC
- 6.74%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
7.84%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- FMS
- 7.84%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Centene (CNC) at 0.81% and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 4.22% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.81%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- CNC
- 0.81%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.22%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- FMS
- 4.22%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Centene (CNC) at 0.74% and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 9.63% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.74%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- CNC
- 0.74%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
9.63%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- FMS
- 9.63%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 6.74% | 7.84% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.68% | 3.94% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 0.81% | 4.22% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 0.74% | 9.63% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 11.34% | 26.46% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Centene (CNC) at 19.44% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 1.51% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 83.61% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Centene (CNC) at -314.42% falls below its industry range — a large difference in per-share earnings trajectories.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 19.44% | 1.51% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.45% | 0.39% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -314.42% | 83.61% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 13.47% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Centene (CNC) at 1.16 and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 0.99 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.16
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- CNC
- 1.16
- Min
- 0.30
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.99
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- FMS
- 0.99
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Centene (CNC) at 0.70 and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 0.79 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.70
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- CNC
- 0.70
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.79
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- FMS
- 0.79
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.16 | 0.99 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.70 | 0.79 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.71 | 3.63 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Centene (CNC) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) reports a yield of 6.30%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- CNC
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
6.30%
- FMS
- 6.30%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Centene (CNC) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) reports a payout of 50.14%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- CNC
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
50.14%
- FMS
- 50.14%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 6.30% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 50.14% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 13.53 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Centene (CNC) at 23.97 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for FMS, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
23.97
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- CNC
- 23.97
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
13.53
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- FMS
- 13.53
- Min
- 4.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Centene (CNC) at 0.19 and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 0.62 fetch a relatively low price per dollar of sales, landing in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.19
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- CNC
- 0.19
- Min
- 0.03
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.62
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- FMS
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Relative to net asset value, both Centene (CNC) at 1.55 and Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) at 0.85 look inexpensive, sitting in the lower P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
CNC
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.55
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- CNC
- 1.55
- Min
- -1.31
FMS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.85
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- FMS
- 0.85
- Min
- -1.31
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CNC | FMS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 23.97 | 13.53 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.62 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.55 | 0.85 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 8.93% | 12.29% |