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HUM vs UNH
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Humana (HUM) vs. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Humana (HUM) delivered stronger year-to-date performance with approximately 61% gains, driven by robust Medicare Advantage membership growth and Q2 2026 earnings beats.
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) showed steady recovery with medical care ratio improvements in Q2 2026 and a larger, more diversified business model supporting relative stability.
- Both companies operate in the managed care sector, yet HUM exhibits higher revenue growth momentum while UNH benefits from scale and Optum integration.
- Recent market activity reflects analyst optimism for both, including raised price targets, amid broader healthcare cost and regulatory considerations.
- Valuation metrics position UNH at a lower forward price-to-earnings ratio compared to HUM, highlighting trade-offs in growth versus stability.
- Sector sentiment remains influenced by medical cost trends and membership dynamics observed in recent quarters.
Introduction
Humana (HUM) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) represent two prominent players in the U.S. managed healthcare industry, making them relevant for investors and traders seeking exposure to health insurance and care delivery. This comparison examines their business profiles, recent performance trends, and relative positioning in the current market environment. It is particularly useful for those evaluating sector allocation, momentum shifts, or diversification within healthcare equities, providing a factual basis for assessing contrasts in scale, growth drivers, and risk profiles without favoring either stock.
HUM Overview and Recent Performance
Humana Inc. (HUM) focuses primarily on Medicare Advantage plans, commercial insurance, and value-based care through its CenterWell segment. In recent market activity, the stock has posted substantial year-to-date gains near 61%, outperforming broader indices amid strong membership expansion. Q2 2026 results showed adjusted earnings per share of $7.61, exceeding estimates, with revenues rising 26.2% year over year to $40.9 billion, supported by premium growth and Medicare Advantage membership increases of 23.8%. Sentiment benefited from operational updates and analyst target raises, though guidance adjustments for full-year earnings introduced caution around medical costs. Recent weeks have featured price fluctuations within an overall upward trajectory, influenced by these earnings dynamics and sector-wide utilization trends.
UNH Overview and Recent Performance
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) operates a diversified model encompassing UnitedHealthcare insurance and Optum health services, pharmacy benefits, and data analytics. The stock has experienced recovery in recent periods, with year-to-date returns around 16-19% following earlier volatility. Q2 2026 delivered revenues of $112 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $6.38, alongside an improved medical care ratio of 86.7%. Performance has been supported by margin expansion efforts, dividend authorizations, and service expansions such as behavioral health programs. Recent market activity reflects stabilization, with the larger market capitalization providing a buffer compared to peers, as operational resilience and cost management initiatives shaped investor positioning amid ongoing healthcare sector pressures.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Humana (HUM) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) differ markedly in scale, with UNH holding a market capitalization exceeding $340 billion versus HUM's approximately $47-49 billion. Business models contrast as well: HUM emphasizes Medicare Advantage and integrated care delivery, yielding higher recent revenue growth rates near 26% in Q2, while UNH leverages diversification across insurance and Optum services for steadier cash flows and margin recovery. Recent momentum favors HUM in percentage terms due to membership gains, whereas UNH demonstrates resilience through medical cost ratio improvements and capital returns. Risk factors include HUM's sensitivity to Stars program outcomes and guidance revisions, balanced against UNH's exposure to regulatory scrutiny and utilization trends. Sector exposure remains comparable within managed care, yet market sentiment has rewarded HUM's growth narrative more aggressively in recent weeks, while UNH trades at comparatively lower forward valuations, presenting trade-offs between expansion potential and established stability.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency in membership and earnings delivery, relative stability from scale, and positioning amid cost management catalysts, Tickeron’s AI models currently assign a modestly higher probabilistic preference to UnitedHealth Group (UNH) for balanced exposure in the near term. Humana (HUM) shows compelling momentum but carries elevated variability in guidance outcomes. This assessment draws from recent performance patterns rather than forecasts and remains subject to evolving market data.
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 disclaimer.
Humana Inc. (HUM) and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) are large healthcare companies based in the US. Unitedhealth is the larger of the two by several orders of magnitude, with an enterprise value of $424B, while Humana has an EV of $57B at the time of this writing. Both companies operate as insurers for major medical policies, as well as supplemental policies such as Medicare Advantage and dental coverages. UNH operates in multiple segments under the Optum brand and the Unitedhealth brand, serving medical and pharmaceutical industry infrastructure with financial services and other logistics. Both companies derive significant income from government contracts for Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA-related health policies. Their margins are more modest than some industries, but they have reliable earnings. UNH has a slightly better ROE, currently at 22% at the time of this writing compared to HUM’s 17%, but their ROA is almost the same figure, at approximately 6.4%.
HUM | UNH | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 85 | 80 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 9 Undervalued | 4 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 97 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 98 | 57 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 37 | 46 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 9 | 11 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 33 | 90 |
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 (4) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as HUM (9). This means that UNH’s stock grew similarly to HUM’s over the last 12 months.
HUM's Profit vs Risk Rating (97) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as UNH (100). This means that HUM’s stock grew similarly to UNH’s over the last 12 months.
UNH's SMR Rating (57) in the Managed Health Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for HUM (98). This means that UNH’s stock grew somewhat faster than HUM’s over the last 12 months.
HUM's Price Growth Rating (37) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as UNH (46). This means that HUM’s stock grew similarly to UNH’s over the last 12 months.
HUM's P/E Growth Rating (9) in the Managed Health Care industry is in the same range as UNH (11). This means that HUM’s stock grew similarly to UNH’s over the last 12 months.
| HUM | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 4 days ago 50% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 68% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 71% | 2 days ago 67% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 55% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 2 days ago 59% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 2 days ago 57% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 2 days ago 56% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 66% | 4 days ago 53% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 68% | 2 days ago 67% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 68% | 2 days ago 54% |
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 overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
HUM’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green while UNH’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- HUM’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- UNH’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 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.
HUM’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UNH’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HUM’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- UNH’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
HUM (@Managed Health Care) experienced а +3.03% price change this week, while UNH (@Managed Health Care) price change was -0.08% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Managed Health Care industry was -2.42%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -6.22%, and the average quarterly price growth was +64.65%.
Reported Earning Dates
HUM is expected to report earnings on Nov 06, 2026.
UNH is expected to report earnings on Oct 13, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Managed Health Care (-2.42% 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.
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HUM and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, HUM has been loosely correlated with UNH. These tickers have moved in lockstep 66% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if HUM jumps, then UNH could also see price increases.
UNH and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UNH has been closely correlated with ELV. These tickers have moved in lockstep 67% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if UNH jumps, then ELV could also see price increases.