JNJ vs. UNH: Johnson & Johnson vs. UnitedHealth Group Stock Comparison
How do Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) share the Health Care sector but sit in different industry groups — JNJ in Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and UNH in Health Care Equipment & Services.
| Profile Item | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Johnson & Johnson | UnitedHealth Group Incorporated |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Health Care Providers & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Managed Health Care |
| Market Capitalization | 556.77 billion USD | 369.32 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 2, 1962 | October 17, 1984 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Performance at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 58.27% | 38.26% |
Risk
Drawdown
Risk at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 17.15% | 40.18% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.26 | 0.63 |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 7.78M | 7.81M |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 26.42% sits in the top ROE quartile, while UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 12.18% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for JNJ.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
26.42%
- Max
- 94.73%
- JNJ
- 26.42%
- Q3
- 2.87%
- Median
- -31.21%
- Q1
- -61.22%
- Min
- -157.07%
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
12.18%
- Max
- 53.65%
- Q3
- 13.38%
- UNH
- 12.18%
- Median
- 3.66%
- Q1
- -17.06%
- Min
- -59.21%
Net Margin (TTM)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 21.83% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 2.68% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
21.83%
- JNJ
- 21.83%
- Max
- 12.76%
- Q3
- 3.90%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -2.01%
- Min
- -9.05%
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.68%
- Max
- 30.40%
- Q3
- 8.04%
- UNH
- 2.68%
- Median
- 1.52%
- Q1
- -9.42%
- Min
- -34.34%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 27.41% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 8.05%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
27.41%
- Max
- 100.30%
- JNJ
- 27.41%
- Q3
- 5.21%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -122.23%
- Min
- -309.54%
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
8.05%
- Max
- 37.54%
- Q3
- 12.56%
- UNH
- 8.05%
- Median
- 5.48%
- Q1
- -4.26%
- Min
- -25.61%
Profitability at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 26.42% | 12.18% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.42% | 3.78% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 21.83% | 2.68% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 27.41% | 8.05% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 68.04% | 18.80% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.05% | 11.81% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.60% | 11.35% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 90.50% | -14.70% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 17.90% | -14.52% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 1.03 and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 0.80 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.03
- Max
- 24.76
- Q3
- 11.89
- Median
- 5.63
- Q1
- 2.69
- JNJ
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.23
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.80
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 4.19
- Median
- 1.99
- Q1
- 1.34
- UNH
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.04
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 0.68 and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 0.74 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.68
- Max
- 1.60
- Q3
- 0.68
- JNJ
- 0.68
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.74
- Max
- 2.02
- Q3
- 1.06
- UNH
- 0.74
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.03 | 0.80 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.68 | 0.74 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.96 | 2.18 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 2.28% and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 2.20% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.28%
- JNJ
- 2.28%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.20%
- UNH
- 2.20%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 60.25% and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 66.57% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
60.25%
- JNJ
- 60.25%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
66.57%
- UNH
- 66.57%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividends at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.28% | 2.20% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 60.25% | 66.57% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 26.80 and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 30.58 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
26.80
- Max
- 79.44
- Q3
- 45.64
- JNJ
- 26.80
- Median
- 24.21
- Q1
- 14.95
- Min
- 1.85
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
30.58
- Max
- 80.52
- Q3
- 43.63
- UNH
- 30.58
- Median
- 26.60
- Q1
- 18.98
- Min
- 0.88
P/S Ratio (TTM)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 0.82 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 5.78 prices around its industry’s middle — UNH costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.78
- Max
- 54.89
- Q3
- 25.22
- Median
- 7.22
- JNJ
- 5.78
- Q1
- 3.33
- Min
- 0.01
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.82
- Max
- 8.24
- Q3
- 4.02
- Median
- 1.91
- Q1
- 1.01
- UNH
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 3.77 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 6.86 carries an above-peer premium to book — JNJ is pricier on assets.
JNJ
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.86
- Max
- 14.41
- JNJ
- 6.86
- Q3
- 6.82
- Median
- 3.67
- Q1
- 1.70
- Min
- -5.92
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.77
- Max
- 10.35
- Q3
- 5.36
- UNH
- 3.77
- Median
- 2.73
- Q1
- 1.42
- Min
- -2.01
Valuation at a Glance
| Metric | JNJ | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.80 | 30.58 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.78 | 0.82 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.86 | 3.77 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.25% | 4.79% |