AMAT vs UNH: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Applied Materials, Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-22.
Applied Materials, Inc. Β· Technology
$394.33
-58.9% upside to fair value
Grade C High Quality
VS
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Β· Healthcare
$304.33
+41.3% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B+
QuantHub Verdict
UNH has more upside to fair value (+41.3%). UNH trades at a lower forward P/E (15.1x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric AMAT UNH
Current Price $394.33 $304.33
Fair Value Estimate $162.08 $430.00
Upside to Fair Value -58.9% +41.3%
Market Cap $312.9B $276.2B
Forward P/E 39.9x 15.1x
EV / EBITDA 31.6x 14.3x
Price / Sales 11.1x 0.6x
Price / FCF 50.5x 17.2x
Revenue Growth YoY -2.1% +11.8%
Gross Margin 48.7% 18.5%
Operating Margin 29.1% 4.2%
Return on Equity 38.9% 12.7%
Dividend Yield 0% 2.9%
FCF Yield 1.98% 5.82%
Analyst Consensus Strong Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
AMAT β€” Applied Materials, Inc.
Applied Materials, Inc. is a leading global provider of semiconductor and display equipment, specializing in materials engineering solutions critical to chip manufacturing. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat supported by its market leadership, innovation engine with over 8,500 patents since 2013, and a strong management team led by CEO Gary E. Dickerson. Despite these strengths,…
UNH β€” UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
UnitedHealth Group is the world's largest diversified healthcare company, combining the dominant US health insurer UnitedHealthcare with the high-margin Optum services platform spanning care delivery, pharmacy benefits, and data analytics. The stock has fallen roughly 49% from its 2024 peak of $596, driven by elevated medical costs, DOJ antitrust scrutiny, CEO transitions (Brian Thompson's murder…
Accumulation Zones
Metric AMAT UNH
Zone Low $121.56 $280.00
Zone High $137.77 $340.00
In Buy Zone? No Yes
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