Costco Wholesale Corporation vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $948.98 (market cap $418.79B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $405.35 (market cap $361.00B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays the higher dividend (2.31%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $418.79B | $361.00B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $259.02 |
Enterprise Value | $406.93B | $402.86B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 2.31% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $948.43, down 0.45% on the day, with technical indicators signaling a bearish trend amid neutral oscillators. The stock shows strong fundamentals with revenue growth to $275.24 billion in 2025 and consistent earnings beats, though it missed Q1 2026 estimates. Recent news highlights membership fee hikes and robust March sales, while analyst consensus remains bullish with a $1,120 price target.
The outlook for COST is positive due to steady revenue growth and high analyst confidence, but risks include elevated valuation multiples and competitive pressures. Investment opportunity lies in its scalable business model and membership-driven profits, though investors should monitor earnings consistency and macroeconomic impacts on consumer spending.
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
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 →