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ELV vs UNH
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Elevance Health (ELV) vs. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both ELV and UNH operate in the managed healthcare sector but UNH benefits from broader diversification through its Optum services unit.
- Recent one-month performance favors UNH at approximately 19% gains versus ELV's 10%, driven by sector recovery and earnings momentum.
- ELV trades at a lower P/E ratio (price-to-earnings, 12.67) compared to UNH (24.45), indicating relative value amid upcoming Q1 earnings.
- UNH's market cap exceeds $293 billion, dwarfing ELV's $70 billion, reflecting scale advantages.
- Medicare Advantage (government-sponsored health plans for seniors) reimbursement clarity has boosted sentiment for both, though UNH reported a Q1 beat.
- Year-to-date, both lag benchmarks but UNH shows relative resilience at -2% versus ELV's steeper decline.
Introduction
Elevance Health (ELV) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) are leading players in the U.S. managed healthcare industry, serving millions through insurance, pharmacy benefits, and care delivery. This comparison is relevant for investors tracking healthcare sector relative performance, especially amid evolving Medicare Advantage reimbursement policies and quarterly earnings cycles. Traders seeking exposure to stable dividend payers with growth potential, or those hedging sector risks, will find insights into momentum, valuation, and catalysts in the current market environment.
ELV Overview and Recent Performance
Elevance Health provides health insurance and related services, primarily through its Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, focusing on commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage segments. In recent market activity, ELV shares have shown resilience with a roughly 10% one-month gain, rebounding from year-to-date losses amid broader healthcare sector pressures. Sentiment has improved following announcements of a 2.48% Medicare Advantage payment increase for 2027, though upcoming Q1 earnings expectations point to potential revenue declines and customer attrition risks. Trading near $319 with a market cap of $70 billion and P/E of 12.67, the stock reflects value positioning but faces regulatory scrutiny and competitive dynamics influencing performance.
UNH Overview and Recent Performance
UnitedHealth Group operates the largest U.S. health insurer alongside its Optum division, which delivers pharmacy benefits, data analytics, and physician services for diversified revenue. Recent weeks have seen UNH outperform with an 19% one-month advance and a Q1 earnings beat that prompted raised 2026 guidance, lifting shares around $323. Positive analyst upgrades, including Morgan Stanley's Top Pick designation, underscore momentum from Medicare rate clarity and operational efficiencies. With a $294 billion market cap and P/E of 24.45, UNH exhibits scale-driven stability despite year-to-date softness, buoyed by its integrated model mitigating insurance volatility.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Business models differ markedly: ELV emphasizes traditional insurance with strong Medicaid exposure, while UNH's Optum unit (40%+ of revenue) adds high-margin services, reducing reliance on premiums. Growth drivers include membership gains, but UNH edges on scale and Optum expansion. Recent momentum favors UNH post-earnings, contrasting ELV's pre-earnings caution. Risk factors like Medicare Advantage rate volatility and regulatory changes affect both equally, though UNH's diversification offers a buffer. Sector exposure is concentrated in healthcare, with ELV appearing undervalued on P/E but UNH leading in market sentiment and stability.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently leans toward UNH based on superior recent trend consistency, Q1 earnings strength, diversified catalysts via Optum, and relative stability in volatile healthcare positioning. While ELV offers value appeal ahead of earnings, UNH's momentum suggests higher probability of near-term outperformance absent major shifts.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full Disclaimers and Limitations.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is ELV is a Hold and UNH is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
ELV’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileUNH’s FA Score has 3 green FA rating(s).
- ELV’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- UNH’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
ELV’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UNH’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- ELV’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- UNH’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
ELV (@Managed Health Care) experienced а -2.68% price change this week, while UNH (@Managed Health Care) price change was -0.57% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Managed Health Care industry was -0.58%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +11.29%, and the average quarterly price growth was +34.21%.
Reported Earning Dates
ELV is expected to report earnings on Jul 22, 2026.
UNH is expected to report earnings on Jul 16, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Managed Health Care (-0.58% weekly)Managed healthcare industry focuses on providing health/medical and disability insurance plans, generally intended to reduce the cost of for-profit health care. The insurance products might be provided through employer-paid (fully or partly) insurance and benefit programs, or through Medicare/Medicaid. Some of the largest providers of managed health care include Aetna, Humana Inc., and Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare.
| ELV | UNH | ELV / UNH | |
| Capitalization | 84.4B | 364B | 23% |
| EBITDA | N/A | 22.8B | - |
| Gain YTD | 11.963 | 23.106 | 52% |
| P/E Ratio | 16.46 | 30.19 | 55% |
| Revenue | 200B | 450B | 44% |
| Total Cash | N/A | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 31.8B | 77.9B | 41% |
ELV | UNH | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 74 | 79 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 7 Undervalued | 5 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 93 | 94 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 98 | 64 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 47 | 14 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 40 | 8 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
UNH's Valuation (5) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as ELV (7). This means that UNH’s stock grew similarly to ELV’s over the last 12 months.
ELV's Profit vs Risk Rating (93) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as UNH (94). This means that ELV’s stock grew similarly to UNH’s over the last 12 months.
UNH's SMR Rating (64) in the Managed Health Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for ELV (98). This means that UNH’s stock grew somewhat faster than ELV’s over the last 12 months.
UNH's Price Growth Rating (14) in the Managed Health Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for ELV (47). This means that UNH’s stock grew somewhat faster than ELV’s over the last 12 months.
UNH's P/E Growth Rating (8) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as ELV (40). This means that UNH’s stock grew similarly to ELV’s over the last 12 months.
| ELV | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 64% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 61% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 54% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 68% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 58% | 3 days ago 58% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 51% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 13 days ago 56% | 6 days ago 54% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 56% | 4 days ago 55% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 73% | 3 days ago 55% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 46% |
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ELV and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ELV has been loosely correlated with UNH. These tickers have moved in lockstep 64% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if ELV jumps, then UNH could also see price increases.