MS vs UNH: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Morgan Stanley and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-17.
Morgan Stanley · Financial Services
$218.37
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
VS
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated · Healthcare
$423.38
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MS trades at a lower forward P/E
(23.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
MS |
UNH |
| Current Price |
$218.37 |
$423.38 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$316.64 |
$613.90 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+45.0%
|
+45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$344.4B |
$384.5B |
| Forward P/E |
23.6x
|
27.2x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
9.8x
|
13.8x
|
| Price / Sales |
2.7x
|
0.8x
|
| Price / FCF |
-327.4x
|
19.6x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+22.4%
|
+0.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
56.6%
|
18.8%
|
| Operating Margin |
28.4%
|
4.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
23.4%
|
12.4%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
—
|
5.12%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Strong Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm specializing in capital markets, wealth management, and investment banking. The company demonstrates high business quality with a strong return on equity of 23.4% and robust revenue growth of 22.4% in the most recent quarter, alongside impressive earnings growth of 57.7% in the same period. Its gross margin of 56.6% and net margin of 20.2…
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates in the healthcare sector, specifically within medical and healthcare plans, providing a durable business model supported by a strong competitive moat and consistent earnings growth. The company currently trades at a price of $423.38 with a market cap of $359.873 billion, reflecting a valuation that is cheap relative to its five-year history, supported by a…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
MS |
UNH |
| Zone Low |
$237.48 |
$460.42 |
| Zone High |
$269.14 |
$521.81 |
| In Buy Zone? |
Yes
|
Yes
|