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CNC vs. SYK: Centene vs. Stryker Stock Comparison

How do Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK) 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 Stryker (SYK) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but CNC is classified in Health Care Providers & Services while SYK is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies.

Company profile comparison for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
Profile ItemCNCSYK
NameCentene Corp.Stryker Corp.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupHealth Care Equipment & ServicesHealth Care Equipment & Services
GICS IndustryHealth Care Providers & ServicesHealth Care Equipment & Supplies
GICS Sub-IndustryManaged Health CareHealth Care Equipment
Market Capitalization34.53 billion USD124.06 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateDecember 13, 2001March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CNC
SYK
GSPC
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
Total Return (1Y)84.77%-6.99%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-0.97%7.60%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-1.48%4.64%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CNC
SYK
GSPC
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)46.34%32.80%
Beta (5Y)1.070.72
Max Drawdown (5Y)-74.07%-32.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.63M2.81M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CNC and SYK are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.74-0.34
Sortino Ratio (1Y)2.71-0.49

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 16.02% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Centene (CNC) at 6.74% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for SYK.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

16.02%

Max
47.61%
SYK
16.02%
Q3
14.36%
Median
5.45%
Q1
-10.67%
Min
-47.01%
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their ROE against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 13.78% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Centene (CNC) at 0.81%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

13.78%

Max
29.35%
SYK
13.78%
Q3
9.33%
Median
2.18%
Q1
-6.29%
Min
-28.46%
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 22.96% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Centene (CNC) at 0.74%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

22.96%

Max
35.43%
SYK
22.96%
Q3
14.14%
Median
6.81%
Q1
-0.28%
Min
-16.29%
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
ROE (TTM)6.74%16.02%
ROA (TTM)2.68%8.36%
Net Margin (TTM)0.81%13.78%
Operating Margin (TTM)0.74%22.96%
Gross Margin (TTM)11.34%65.70%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Centene (CNC) at 19.44% and Stryker (SYK) at 11.16% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Stryker (SYK) at 8.25% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Centene (CNC) at -314.42% falls below its industry range, a notably weak earnings reading.

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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
Revenue Growth (YoY)19.44%11.16%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)10.45%10.83%
EPS Growth (YoY)-314.42%8.25%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--10.83%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Stryker (SYK) at 2.18 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Centene (CNC) at 1.16 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CNC.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.18

Max
7.59
Q3
4.00
SYK
2.18
Median
1.98
Q1
1.37
Min
0.30
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their current ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Centene (CNC) at 0.70 and Stryker (SYK) at 0.66 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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.66

Max
1.88
Q3
0.91
SYK
0.66
Median
0.58
Q1
0.16
Min
0.00
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.162.18
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.700.66
Net Debt / EBITDA-1.711.62

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 Stryker (SYK) reports a yield of 1.05%, 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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.05%

SYK
1.05%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

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 Stryker (SYK) reports a payout of 37.49%, 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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

37.49%

SYK
37.49%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.05%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%37.49%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Centene (CNC) at 23.97 and Stryker (SYK) at 34.70 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

34.70

Max
80.41
Q3
47.62
SYK
34.70
Median
29.93
Q1
21.19
Min
4.21
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Centene (CNC) at 0.19 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while Stryker (SYK) at 4.72 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

4.72

Max
8.80
SYK
4.72
Q3
4.32
Median
2.13
Q1
1.10
Min
0.03
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Centene (CNC) at 1.55 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Stryker (SYK) at 5.29 is valued near its industry’s middle — CNC is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

5.29

Max
11.68
Q3
6.12
SYK
5.29
Median
3.00
Q1
1.73
Min
-1.31
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Centene (CNC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Centene (CNC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricCNCSYK
P/E Ratio (TTM)23.9734.70
P/S Ratio (TTM)0.194.72
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.555.29
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)8.93%2.98%