Costco Wholesale Corporation vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $946.2 (market cap $420.05B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $379.68 (market cap $332.96B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays the higher dividend (2.5%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Costco Wholesale Corporation for 133 Days and UnitedHealth Group Inc for 97 Days on average.
| COST | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $420.05B | $332.96B |
Volume | 2,087,565 | 7,273,749 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $259.02 |
Typical Hold Time | 133 Days | 97 Days |
Enterprise Value | $407.33B | $374.82B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 2.5% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $944.20, up 0.21% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The company reported strong March 2026 sales growth of 11.3% year-over-year (Costco Wholesale Corporation, April 8, 2026) and has shown consistent revenue and net income growth, with fiscal 2025 revenue at $275.24B and net income at $8.10B. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $1,100 price target, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 45.66 are elevated.
The outlook remains positive due to robust membership fee growth and expansion, but risks include high valuation sensitivity and competitive pressures. Upside is supported by strong institutional buying and earnings beats, though any market pullback could pressure the stock given its premium multiples.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $375.98, showing minor daily weakness but maintaining a bullish technical signal. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates, and reaffirmed its full-year outlook. Revenue growth remains robust, though net margins have compressed from prior years. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with a consensus price target of $473.89 implying significant upside.
The outlook for UNH is favorable, driven by earnings momentum and strategic initiatives like AI investment. Key risks include regulatory pressures and medical cost trends. The stock presents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking exposure to a leading healthcare company with solid fundamentals and Wall Street support.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
The leading warehouse club, Costco has 815 stores worldwide (at the end of fiscal 2021), with most sales derived in the United States (72%) and Canada (14%). It sells memberships that allow customers to shop in its warehouses, which feature low prices on a limited product assortment. Costco mainly caters to individual shoppers, but roughly 20% of paid members carry business memberships. Food and sundries accounted for 40% of fiscal 2021 sales, with non-food merchandise 29%, warehouse ancillary and other businesses (such as fuel and pharmacy) nearly 17%, and fresh food 14%. Costco's warehouses average around 146,000 square feet
Read more on COST →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 →