Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. trades at $306.16 (market cap $68.88B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $406 (market cap $361.00B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 5.2× Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.'s market cap, and Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.34%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APD | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $68.88B | $361.00B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Health |
52-Week High | $314.19 | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $230.42 | $259.02 |
Enterprise Value | $86.06B | $402.86B |
Dividend Yield | 2.34% | 2.31% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Air Products and Chemicals (APD) trades at $308.18, up 1.56% with strong technical momentum and bullish moving averages. The company has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters, with Q3 2026 EPS of $3.47 exceeding expectations. Recent positive developments include a major semiconductor supply agreement in Taiwan and raised guidance, though profitability metrics show weakness with negative net income margin and ROE. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with a $346 price target representing 12% upside potential.
APD presents a growth opportunity driven by strategic contracts and consistent earnings beats, but faces fundamental challenges with negative profitability and elevated debt levels. The stock's technical strength and institutional support provide near-term momentum, though investors should weigh the disconnect between valuation multiples and current financial performance against the company's long-term growth prospects in industrial gases.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $408.74, showing modest daily gains of 0.41% amid a bearish technical signal. The company demonstrates strong fundamental performance with consistent earnings beats in recent quarters and robust analyst support (82.7% buy ratings). Recent developments include dividend payments and strategic initiatives to streamline pediatric care authorizations, positioning UNH well in the healthcare sector.
UNH presents a compelling investment case with strong cash flow generation and market leadership, though investors face risks from regulatory scrutiny and margin compression. The stock trades at a discount to analyst consensus target of $476.50, offering potential upside if operational improvements and growth initiatives materialize as projected.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Since its founding in 1940, Air Products has become one of the leading industrial gas suppliers globally, with operations in 50 countries and 19,000 employees. The company is the largest supplier of hydrogen and helium in the world. It has a unique portfolio serving customers in a number of industries, including chemicals, energy, healthcare, metals, and electronics. Air Products generated $10.3 billion in revenue in fiscal 2021.
Read more on APD →UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers, providing medical benefits to 50 million members globally, including 5 million outside the U.S. at the end of 2021. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in managed care. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's continued investments in its Optum franchises have created a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from medical and pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.
Read more on UNH →