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CVS Health vs UnitedHealth Group: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with CVS Health carrying a narrow edge on growth. UnitedHealth still leads on profitability and valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-06-14

The comparison is mainly decided in growth, with the rest of the profile carrying less weight.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Healthcare Plans

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CVS and UNH share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how CVS Health and UnitedHealth each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CVS
CVS Health Corporation
44
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
42
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in growth.

Dimension spread: CVS vs UNH Profitability 19 46 Stability 43 33 Valuation 41 56 Growth 85 24 CVS UNH
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +61
#2 Profitability +27
#3 Valuation +15
#4 Stability +10
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CVS and UNH Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CVSUNH Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup splits cleanly: structure favours CVS Health Corporation, while the price setup favours UnitedHealth Group Incorporated.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CVS and UNH each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CVS Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 68 pct gap UNH Neutral · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 31st
Today UNH sits in the lower-middle of its own 5-year history (31st percentile), while CVS sits higher in its own history (99th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, UNH is at a historically more favourable entry position than CVS. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, CVS Health Corporation ranks near the top of the group; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
Profitability also leans toward UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, reinforcing the broader structural lead.
Growth — Dominant Gap
CVS
85
UNH
24
Gap+61in favour of CVS

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Capital efficiency also runs the other way, with a 8.3-point ROIC edge acting as a real counterforce.

What this means for the comparison

Growth is the clearest driver of the lead, with profitability adding further support — though profitability still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CVS vs UNH comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how CVS and UNH each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.