MasterCard Inc vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? MasterCard Inc trades at $559.47 (market cap $490.33B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $401.93 (market cap $364.06B). The key difference: MasterCard Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays the higher dividend (2.29%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MA | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $490.33B | $364.06B |
Volume | 4,635,698 | — |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Health |
52-Week High | $598.96 | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $471.55 | $259.02 |
Enterprise Value | $503.36B | $405.92B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 2.29% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Mastercard (MA) trades at $558.79, down 0.47% on the day, with strong technical support at $557 and resistance at $562. The company demonstrates robust fundamentals with 2025 revenue of $32.79B and net income of $14.97B, maintaining impressive profit margins above 45%. Recent earnings have consistently beaten expectations, with Q2 2026 EPS of $5.04 surpassing the $4.77 estimate. Institutional buying activity remains strong as evidenced by recent 13F filings.
Mastercard presents a compelling investment case with 79% analyst buy ratings and a $660.85 consensus price target representing 18% upside potential. The company's dominant payment network position, expanding digital payment initiatives, and consistent earnings growth outweigh risks from payment disruption threats and regulatory scrutiny. Current valuation multiples reflect premium pricing but are justified by superior profitability and growth prospects.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $402.19, down 1.6% with bearish technical signals despite strong fundamental performance. The company reported three consecutive quarterly earnings beats with Q1 2026 EPS of $7.23 beating estimates by 12%. Revenue grew to $447.57 billion in 2025, though net margins compressed to 2.69%. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 83% buy ratings and a $476.50 price target representing 18% upside potential.
UNH presents a compelling long-term investment opportunity driven by aging demographics and healthcare digitization, but faces near-term headwinds from regulatory scrutiny and margin pressure. The stock's current valuation at 25.85x P/E appears reasonable given growth prospects, though investors should monitor legal challenges and Medicare reimbursement trends that could impact profitability.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Mastercard Incorporated provides financial transaction processing services. The Company offers payment processing services for credit and debit cards, electronic cash, automated teller machines, and travelers checks. Mastercard serves customers worldwide.
Read more on MA →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 →