ELV vs UNH

For growth investors, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the stronger pick with 12. 6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 11. 8% for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH). Elevance Health Inc. (ELV) offers the better valuation at 14. 7x trailing P/E (13. 8x 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. 7x versus UnitedHealth Group Incorporated at 27. 5x. On forward P/E, Elevance Health Inc. is actually cheaper at 13. 8x.

Over the past 5 years, Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) delivered a total return of +2. 4%, compared to -2. 8% for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UNH returned +217. 0% versus ELV's +202. 3%. 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), Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 46β versus UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's 0. 59β — meaning UNH is approximately 27% more volatile than ELV relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Elevance Health Inc. (ELV) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 75% versus 77% for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — 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 11. 8% for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Elevance Health Inc. grew EPS -2. 2% year-over-year, compared to -14. 7% for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated. 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.

Elevance Health Inc.

(ELV) is the more profitable company, earning 2. 8% net margin versus 2. 7% for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — 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 4. 1% for ELV. 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. 8x forward P/E versus 19. 9x for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — 6. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for UNH: 5. 9% to $385. 43.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) offers the highest yield at 2. 4%, versus 1. 9% for Elevance Health Inc. (ELV).

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. 9% yield, +202. 3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ELV: +202. 3%, UNH: +217. 0%), 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: ELV is a mid-cap deep-value stock; UNH is a large-cap quality compounder 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.