COP vs UNH: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of ConocoPhillips and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-09-22.
ConocoPhillips · Energy
$127.53
+32.1% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade B
VS
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated · Healthcare
$375.21
+28.2% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
COP has more upside to fair value
(+32.1%).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COP |
UNH |
| Current Price |
$127.53 |
$375.21 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$168.50 |
$481.06 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+32.1%
|
+28.2%
|
| Market Cap |
$155.4B |
$340.7B |
| Forward P/E |
—
|
—
|
| EV / EBITDA |
6.2x
|
15.0x
|
| Price / Sales |
2.5x
|
0.8x
|
| Price / FCF |
7.9x
|
14.4x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+36.8%
|
+0.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
27.7%
|
22.5%
|
| Operating Margin |
21.9%
|
4.8%
|
| Return on Equity |
14.3%
|
14.6%
|
| Dividend Yield |
2.63% |
2.41% |
| FCF Yield |
12.66%
|
6.95%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Strong Buy
|
Investment Thesis
ConocoPhillips is a global exploration and production company with a portfolio spanning unconventional North American shale, conventional international assets, LNG ventures, and Canadian oil sands, run by a new leadership team after Andy O'Brien became CEO on September 1, 2026. The business quality is medium: it generates substantial cash, with $16.15 in free cash flow per share and a 14.3% retur…
UnitedHealth Group is the largest diversified healthcare enterprise in the United States, operating UnitedHealthcare insurance plans alongside Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx, with 390,000 employees and a market capitalization of $340.74 billion. The business quality is high: a 14.6% return on equity, $26.07 in free cash flow per share, and a P/FCF of 14.39 demonstrate strong cash gener…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COP |
UNH |
| Zone Low |
$126.38 |
$360.80 |
| Zone High |
$143.22 |
$408.90 |
| In Buy Zone? |
Yes
|
Yes
|