LIVE
CI
The Cigna Group · Healthcare
$279.27
-4.12% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated · Healthcare
$400.96
+3.01% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
CI
2
UNH
3
Comparison scoreboard
UNH LEADS 3/5AI Score
CI 41.3
UNH ✓48.4
1Y Return
CI -10.64%
UNH ✓+29.82%
Fwd P/E
CI ✓8.90
UNH 19.54
Target Up.
CI ✓+14.40%
UNH -0.28%
Op. Margin
CI 5.48%
UNH ✓8.05%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
CI vs UNH Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Cigna and UnitedHealth are both major managed care and PBM companies, but with different strategic emphasis. UNH is the largest insurer with Optum's healthcare services vertical integration. Cigna leads with Express Scripts PBM as its services anchor while focusing commercial employer insurance. Both face similar medical cost inflation challenges, but UNH's diversification through Optum and Medicare Advantage scale creates higher earnings quality.
CI vs UNH is the PBM-anchored health insurer with Express Scripts and commercial employer focus (Cigna) versus the largest US managed care company with Optum healthcare services vertical integration and Medicare Advantage demographic growth engine (UnitedHealth) — PBM-driven services vs fully integrated healthcare services platform.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
UNH holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. UNH has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+29.82% vs -10.64%), though CI trades at the lower forward P/E (8.90x vs 19.54x). On fundamentals, CI is growing revenue faster (4.60%), while UNH maintains the higher operating margin (8.05%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CI (+14.40%) than for UNH (-0.28%).
Normalized 1Y performance
CI
UNH
Recent returns
CI
UNH
Analyst price targets & sentiment
CI
Price target range
analyst mean$340.92
current price$279.27
+14.4% upside to analyst mean
UNH · 24 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.8/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$270.00
analyst high$626.00
analyst mean$407.38
current price$400.96
-0.3% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
CI may suit investors who:
- →prefer health insurance with Express Scripts PBM providing recurring pharmacy benefit management revenue across employer health plans
- →value Cigna's commercial employer insurance focus avoiding some government program rate risk from Medicare Advantage CMS annual pricing
- →want managed care exposure at potentially lower valuation than UNH given Cigna's smaller scale and less diverse services business
- →are comfortable with PBM regulatory risk, smaller Medicare Advantage presence, and strategic uncertainty from potential Express Scripts monetization
UNH may suit investors who:
- →prefer the largest, most complete managed care platform with Optum's $100B+ healthcare services providing earnings diversification beyond insurance underwriting
- →value Medicare Advantage demographic tailwind as the largest MA insurer serving the growing segment of Medicare beneficiaries choosing private managed care
- →want the highest-quality managed care compounding with Optum's vertical integration creating sustainable earnings advantages over pure insurers
- →are comfortable with MLR pressure during elevated utilization periods, Medicare Advantage CMS rate risk, and leadership transition uncertainty
Performance & AI score
| Metric | CI | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 41.3 | 48.4 |
| AI rank | #963 | #559 |
| Latest close | $279.27 | $400.96 |
| 1M return | -4.12% | +3.01% |
| 6M return | +1.98% | +20.91% |
| 1Y return | -10.64% | +29.82% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CI | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $8.88K (-11.2%) started 2025-06-18 | $13.05K (+30.5%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $13.49K (+34.9%) started 2021-06-21 | $11.24K (+12.4%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $25.42K (+154.2%) started 2016-06-20 | $37.97K (+279.7%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | CI | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $78.83B | $371B |
| Trailing P/E | 11.92 | 30.76 |
| Forward P/E | 8.90 | 19.54 |
| Price/Sales | N/A | 0.67 |
| EV/Revenue | 0.37 | 0.94 |
| Analyst target | $340.92 | $407.38 |
| Target upside | +14.40% | -0.28% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | CI | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 4.60% | 2.00% |
| Earnings growth | 29.10% | 0.70% |
| EPS growth | +29.10% | +0.70% |
| FCF margin | +2.49% | +3.93% |
| Operating margin | 5.48% | 8.05% |
| Profit margin | 2.26% | 2.68% |
| ROIC proxy | 16.27% | 12.18% |
| Return on equity | 16.27% | 12.18% |
| Dividend yield | 2.09% | 2.27% |
| Beta | 0.30 | 0.65 |
| Debt/equity | 72.81 | 73.98 |
| Current ratio | 0.82 | 0.80 |
| Quick ratio | 0.66 | 0.72 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
CI max drawdown26.91%
UNH max drawdown29.98%
CI max wkly drop19.01%
UNH max wkly drop19.46%
5Y risk snapshot
CI max drawdown32.77%
UNH max drawdown61.66%
CI max wkly drop19.01%
UNH max wkly drop29.05%
10Y risk snapshot
CI max drawdown42.47%
UNH max drawdown61.66%
CI max wkly drop23.67%
UNH max wkly drop29.05%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | CI | UNH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -11.17% | +30.52% |
| CAGR | -11.19% | +30.57% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.32 | 0.76 | |
| Max drawdown | 26.91% | 29.98% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.39% | 19.61% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.01% | 19.46% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +26.07% | +6.34% |
| CAGR | +4.75% | +1.24% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.15 | 0.06 | |
| Max drawdown | 32.77% | 61.66% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.39% | 22.38% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.01% | 29.05% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +135.35% | +230.14% |
| CAGR | +8.94% | +12.69% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.29 | 0.40 | |
| Max drawdown | 42.47% | 61.66% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.39% | 22.38% | |
| Max wkly drop | 23.67% | 29.05% |
Business comparison
| Category | CI | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Company | The Cigna Group | UnitedHealth Group Incorporated |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | N/A | Healthcare Plans |
| Core business | Cigna is a health insurance and pharmacy benefit management company operating two major segments: Evernorth Health Services (pharmacy benefits through Express Scripts, specialty pharmacy, behavioral health, and care services) and Cigna Healthcare (commercial insurance for employer groups). Cigna's acquisition of Express Scripts created one of the largest PBM (pharmacy benefit manager) businesses. Cigna focuses primarily on commercial employer health insurance rather than government programs like Medicare Advantage or Medicaid, where UNH is stronger. | UnitedHealth Group operates UnitedHealthcare (insurance for 50M+ members in commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid) plus Optum (pharmacy benefits through OptumRx, clinics, and analytics). UNH is the largest US health insurer with both the most comprehensive managed care business and the most advanced healthcare services platform. UNH's Medicare Advantage business is its largest and fastest-growing segment — serving the largest portion of the growing Medicare population choosing private managed care over traditional Medicare. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Evernorth (Express Scripts PBM) revenue and earnings, commercial insurance medical loss ratio, employer market enrollment, and the separation/spin-off dynamics as Cigna explored selling its Medicare business to Humana. | Investors track medical loss ratio, Optum growth, Medicare Advantage enrollment, and the earnings trajectory through elevated utilization periods. |
CI strengths
- →Express Scripts PBM is one of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers in the US — managing drug benefits for millions of employer plan members creates recurring revenue with high switching costs
- →Commercial employer health insurance focus avoids some Medicare Advantage and Medicaid rate risk that affects UNH
- →Evernorth's specialty pharmacy, behavioral health, and care navigation services create healthcare services revenue beyond traditional insurance underwriting
UNH strengths
- →Largest US health insurer scale with 50M+ members across all market segments — commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and international
- →Optum's $100B+ healthcare services provides diversified earnings beyond insurance underwriting — growing faster than insurance and with higher margins
- →Medicare Advantage demographic tailwind: Baby Boomers aging into Medicare provide multi-decade enrollment growth opportunity
Risks to watch — CI
- →PBM regulatory scrutiny — government investigations into PBM pricing practices (spread pricing, rebate retention) create regulatory and legislative risk for Express Scripts
- →Cigna's Medicare Advantage market is smaller than UNH — less exposure to the fastest-growing managed care segment
- →Potential Express Scripts sale or spinoff could significantly alter Cigna's business model and earnings composition
Risks to watch — UNH
- →Elevated medical costs and MLR pressure from post-COVID utilization normalization and demographic shifts in Medicare Advantage population
- →Leadership transition after CEO tragedy in 2024
- →CMS Medicare Advantage rate setting creates annual uncertainty in UNH's most important business segment earnings
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