AGL vs ELV vs UNH vs CNC

For growth investors, Centene Corporation (CNC) is the stronger pick with 19.

4% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -2. 1% for Agilon Health, Inc. (AGL). Elevance Health Inc. (ELV) offers the better valuation at 14. 8x trailing P/E (13. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Elevance Health Inc. (ELV) a "Buy" — based on 37 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the cheapest at 14. 8x versus UnitedHealth Group Incorporated at 27. 9x. On forward P/E, Elevance Health Inc. is actually cheaper at 13. 9x.

Over the past 5 years, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) delivered a total return of +1. 5%, compared to -92. 8% for Agilon Health, Inc. (AGL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UNH returned +220. 6% versus AGL's -92. 2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Centene Corporation (CNC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

39β versus Agilon Health, Inc. 's 2. 98β — meaning AGL is approximately 661% more volatile than CNC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Agilon Health, Inc. (AGL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 29% versus 94% for Centene Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Centene Corporation (CNC) is pulling ahead at 19.

4% versus -2. 1% for Agilon Health, Inc. (AGL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Elevance Health Inc. grew EPS -2. 2% year-over-year, compared to -315. 8% for Centene Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, AGL leads at 35. 4% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the more profitable company, earning 2. 8% net margin versus -6. 8% for Agilon Health, Inc. — meaning it keeps 2. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: UNH leads at 4. 2% versus -7. 1% for AGL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ELV leads at 25. 6%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) trades at 13. 9x forward P/E versus 20. 2x for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — 6. 3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for UNH: 4. 2% to $385. 43.

In this comparison, UNH (2.

4% yield), ELV (1. 8% yield) pay a dividend. AGL, CNC do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 46), 1. 8% yield, +202. 1% 10Y return). Agilon Health, Inc. (AGL) carries a higher beta of 2. 98 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (ELV: +202. 1%, AGL: -92. 2%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: AGL is a small-cap quality compounder stock; ELV is a mid-cap deep-value stock; UNH is a large-cap quality compounder stock; CNC is a mid-cap high-growth stock. ELV, UNH pay a dividend while AGL, CNC do not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.