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

Elevance Health leads structurally, with valuation as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. UnitedHealth still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. 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 2026-05-17

Most of the visible separation comes from valuation. The overall score gap is 10 points in favour of Elevance Health, Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Healthcare Plans

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
ELV
Elevance Health, Inc.
55
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
45
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: ELV vs UNH Profitability 65 56 Stability 34 30 Valuation 85 57 Growth 17 28 ELV UNH
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +28
#2 Growth +11
#3 Profitability +9
#4 Stability +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ELV and UNH Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ELVUNH Relative valuation Structural strength

Elevance Health, Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated look relatively close on structure, but the price setup still leans toward Elevance Health, Inc..

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ELV Neutral · near norm 0th 50th 100th 7 pct gap UNH Lower · above norm 0th 50th 100th 35th 29th
ELV (35th percentile) and UNH (29th percentile) both sit in the lower-middle of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both profiles are strong on valuation, but Elevance Health, Inc. leads clearly.
Growth
Neither side looks especially strong on growth, though UnitedHealth Group Incorporated still ranks somewhat higher.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
ELV
85
UNH
57
Gap+28in favour of ELV

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 5.5 turns lower.

What else supports the lead

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 6.2-point ROIC advantage.

What this means for the comparison

The stronger score is real, although the supporting evidence still makes it look relatively recent.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-driven comparisons

Explore how ELV 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.