EHTH vs UNH vs CVS vs ELV

For growth investors, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the stronger pick with 12. 6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 4. 1% for eHealth, Inc. (EHTH). 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 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) a "Buy" — based on 52 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 CVS Health Corporation at 62. 8x. On forward P/E, CVS Health Corporation is actually cheaper at 12. 2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, CVS Health Corporation (CVS) delivered a total return of +17.

0%, compared to -97. 3% for eHealth, Inc. (EHTH). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UNH returned +220. 6% versus EHTH's -85. 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), CVS Health Corporation (CVS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

05β versus eHealth, Inc. 's 1. 99β — meaning EHTH is approximately 3828% more volatile than CVS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, eHealth, Inc. (EHTH) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 14% versus 124% for CVS Health Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is pulling ahead at 12. 6% versus 4. 1% for eHealth, Inc. (EHTH). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: eHealth, Inc. grew EPS 71. 4% year-over-year, compared to -62. 0% for CVS Health Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, UNH leads at 11. 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.

eHealth, Inc.

(EHTH) is the more profitable company, earning 7. 2% net margin versus 0. 4% for CVS Health Corporation — meaning it keeps 7. 2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: EHTH leads at 12. 4% versus 2. 6% for CVS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — EHTH leads at 97. 5%, 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, CVS Health Corporation (CVS) trades at 12.

2x forward P/E versus 20. 2x for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — 8. 0x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CVS: 9. 0% to $95. 20.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

eHealth, Inc. (EHTH) offers the highest yield at 10. 4%, versus 1. 8% for Elevance Health Inc. (ELV).

For long-horizon retirement investors, CVS Health Corporation (CVS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

05), 3. 1% yield). eHealth, Inc. (EHTH) carries a higher beta of 1. 99 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CVS: +3. 5%, EHTH: -85. 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (EHTH (Financial Services) and UNH (Healthcare) and CVS (Healthcare) and ELV (Healthcare)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: EHTH is a small-cap income-oriented stock; UNH is a large-cap quality compounder stock; CVS is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; ELV is a mid-cap deep-value stock. 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.