Compare UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH) vs Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
UnitedHealth Group Inc vs Valero Energy Corporation — how do they compare? UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $379.3 (market cap $332.96B), while Valero Energy Corporation trades at $433.75 (market cap $127.78B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 2.6× Valero Energy Corporation's 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 UnitedHealth Group Inc for 97 Days and Valero Energy Corporation for 56 Days on average.
| UNH | VLO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $332.96B | $127.78B |
Volume | 7,273,749 | 2,570,225 |
Sector | Health | Energy |
52-Week High | $436.35 | $443.80 |
52-Week Low | $259.02 | $156.39 |
Typical Hold Time | 97 Days | 56 Days |
Enterprise Value | $374.82B | $131.26B |
Dividend Yield | 2.5% | 1.08% |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $370.95, down 1.34% on the day, amid a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $6.38 versus $4.91 expected, and raised full-year guidance. Revenue for 2025 reached $447.57 billion, though net income margin declined to 2.69%. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with an 82.69% buy rating and a $470.11 price target, suggesting significant upside from current levels.
UNH presents a compelling investment case driven by earnings beats, raised 2026 outlook, and strategic initiatives like AI investment in Optum. Key risks include regulatory pressures in healthcare, volatility from Medicare Advantage plan changes, and margin compression. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 23.84 appears reasonable given growth prospects, but investors should weigh execution risks against the positive analyst sentiment and institutional backing.
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $443.8, up 4.65% today, near its 52-week high. The stock shows strong technical momentum with bullish moving averages, though RSI levels indicate overbought conditions. Fundamentally, VLO has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters, with Q3 2026 expected at $20.17 EPS. Revenue has declined from $176.4B in 2022 to $122.7B in 2025, but net income margin improved to 5.17% in 2026 projections. Analyst sentiment is predominantly positive with 54% buy ratings.
VLO's outlook is supported by refining margin strength and a solid balance sheet, but risks include potential diesel export bans and volatile energy markets. The consensus price target is $408.10, below the current price, suggesting limited near-term upside. Investors should weigh strong operational performance against macroeconomic and policy uncertainties in the energy sector.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
About UnitedHealth Group Inc
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 →About Valero Energy Corporation
Valero Energy is one of the largest independent refiners in the United States. It operates 14 refineries with a total throughput capacity of 3.2 million barrels a day in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Valero also owns 14 ethanol plants with capacity of 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol a year and holds a 50% stake in Diamond Green Diesel, which has capacity to produce 700 million gallons per year of renewable diesel.
Read more on VLO →
