LLY vs. UNH: Eli Lilly vs. UnitedHealth Group Stock Comparison
How do Eli Lilly (LLY) 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
Eli Lilly (LLY) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) share the Health Care sector but sit in different industry groups — LLY in Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and UNH in Health Care Equipment & Services.
| Profile Item | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Eli Lilly and Company | 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 | 996.31 billion USD | 368.52 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 1, 1972 | October 17, 1984 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Performance at a Glance
| Metric | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 44.61% | 36.34% |
Risk
Drawdown
Risk at a Glance
| Metric | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 37.89% | 40.08% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.52 | 0.61 |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.18M | 7.74M |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 107.46% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 12.18%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
107.46%
- LLY
- 107.46%
- Max
- 101.32%
- Q3
- 2.69%
- Median
- -31.88%
- Q1
- -63.19%
- Min
- -158.89%
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)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 34.99% 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.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
34.99%
- LLY
- 34.99%
- Max
- 11.93%
- Q3
- 3.46%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -2.26%
- 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)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 49.39% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 8.05%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
49.39%
- Max
- 100.30%
- LLY
- 49.39%
- Q3
- 4.94%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -131.52%
- Min
- -332.88%
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 | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 107.46% | 12.18% |
| ROA (TTM) | 20.74% | 3.78% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 34.99% | 2.68% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 49.39% | 8.05% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 82.83% | 18.80% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Metric | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 44.70% | 11.81% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 31.69% | 11.35% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Metric | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 95.99% | -14.70% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 51.71% | -14.52% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.50 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.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.50
- Max
- 24.76
- Q3
- 11.75
- Median
- 5.60
- Q1
- 2.68
- LLY
- 1.50
- Min
- 0.23
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.80
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 4.28
- Median
- 1.99
- Q1
- 1.34
- UNH
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.04
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 0.74 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.39 uses more debt funding than most peers.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.39
- Max
- 1.60
- LLY
- 1.39
- Q3
- 0.68
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.74
- Max
- 2.02
- Q3
- 1.01
- UNH
- 0.74
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Metric | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.50 | 0.80 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.39 | 0.74 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.05 | 2.18 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 0.56% and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 2.16% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.56%
- LLY
- 0.56%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.16%
- UNH
- 2.16%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 22.13% 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.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
22.13%
- LLY
- 22.13%
- 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 | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.56% | 2.16% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.13% | 66.57% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 39.69 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.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
39.69
- Max
- 84.11
- Q3
- 46.52
- LLY
- 39.69
- Median
- 25.54
- Q1
- 15.32
- Min
- 1.89
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
30.58
- Max
- 76.85
- Q3
- 45.16
- UNH
- 30.58
- Median
- 28.36
- Q1
- 19.57
- Min
- 0.92
P/S Ratio (TTM)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 0.82 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 13.79 prices around its industry’s middle — UNH costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
13.79
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 25.72
- LLY
- 13.79
- Median
- 7.36
- Q1
- 3.34
- Min
- 0.01
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.82
- Max
- 8.56
- Q3
- 4.25
- Median
- 2.00
- Q1
- 1.04
- UNH
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.04
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) at 3.76 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 32.00 prices above its benchmark range — LLY looks rich relative to book.
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
32.00
- LLY
- 32.00
- Max
- 14.94
- Q3
- 7.22
- Median
- 3.71
- Q1
- 1.76
- Min
- -5.96
UNH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.76
- Max
- 10.99
- Q3
- 5.63
- UNH
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.77
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- -2.15
Valuation at a Glance
| Metric | LLY | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 39.69 | 30.58 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 13.79 | 0.82 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 32.00 | 3.76 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.92% | 4.80% |