McKesson Corporation vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? McKesson Corporation trades at $878 (market cap $105.14B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $404.95 (market cap $361.00B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 3.4× McKesson Corporation's market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays the higher dividend (2.31%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MCK | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $105.14B | $361.00B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $995.69 | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $659.01 | $259.02 |
Enterprise Value | $111.67B | $402.86B |
Dividend Yield | 0.42% | 2.31% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
McKesson (MCK) trades at $877.87, down 0.23% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages and ADX signals. The company reported robust Q1 2027 results with EPS of $9.93 beating estimates by 20% year-over-year, driven by specialty drug growth and oncology performance. Revenue reached $105.4 billion, up 8%, prompting management to raise full-year adjusted EPS guidance. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 24 buy ratings and a $990.67 price target, representing 13% upside potential.
MCK presents a compelling investment case with consistent earnings beats, raised guidance, and strong operational cash flow of $6.9 billion projected for 2026. Key risks include margin pressure from the low 1.12% net income margin, high accounts payable of $55.33 billion, and negative shareholder equity of -$2.07 billion. The stock's valuation at 24.19 P/E appears reasonable given growth prospects, but investors should monitor debt levels and pharmaceutical pricing dynamics.
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
McKesson is a leading wholesaler of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, the three account for well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. McKesson is currently divesting from its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Europe and Canada in order to redeploy capital to strategic growth areas in the U.S. (oncology network and ecosystem, and biopharma services). Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.
Read more on MCK →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 →