Costco Wholesale Corporation vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $924.81 (market cap $408.78B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $419.46 (market cap $389.68B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation and UnitedHealth Group Inc are close in size by market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays the higher dividend (2.16%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $389.68B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $431.68 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $237.77 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $436.36B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 2.16% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $923.9, down 0.27% with bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent revenue growth, reaching $275.24B in 2025 with net income of $8.10B. Recent March sales surged 11.3% year-over-year to $28.41B, indicating robust business momentum. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 65.5% buy ratings and a $1,120 price target, though valuation metrics appear elevated with P/E at 46.37.
The investment case balances premium valuation against exceptional operational execution. Membership fee increases and expanding warehouse network drive profitability, but high P/E ratio requires sustained growth. Key risks include competitive pressure and economic sensitivity, while institutional accumulation supports long-term confidence.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $429.09, up 1.05% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook and strong analyst consensus. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $7.23 exceeding expectations, and a dividend of $2.32 payable in June 2026. Revenue growth remains robust, reaching $447.57B in 2025, though net margins have compressed to 2.68%.
Outlook is positive due to aging demographics and tech innovation in healthcare, but risks include regulatory scrutiny and margin pressure. Wall Street's average price target of $438.33 suggests modest upside, supported by 82.69% buy ratings. Investors should weigh solid cash flow generation against legal challenges and rising debt levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →