Compare StocksCNP vs UNH

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH)

CNP
CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
$43.35
VS
UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
$368.78

Rewards

CNP
    UNH
    • Dividend yield of 2.40% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.

    Risks

    CNP
    • Trailing P/E of 26.6x is 27% above the historical average of 20.9x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
    • PEG ratio of 3.97 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
    • High leverage (2.16x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
    UNH
    • ROIC has declined by 7.9 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
    • Gross margin of 18.8% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
    • FCF yield of 5.3% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.

    Key Valuation Metrics

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    CNP
    UNH
    Valuation
    $-4.95B
    Free Cash Flow
    $17.69B
    -17.44%
    FCF Yield
    5.28%
    26.60
    Trailing P/E
    27.85
    20.82
    Forward P/E
    17.77
    Quality & Moat
    4.52%
    ROIC
    15.60%
    9.19%
    ROE
    11.45%
    45.92%
    Gross Margin
    18.80%
    3.97
    PEG Ratio
    39.79
    Balance Sheet Safety
    2.16
    Debt / Equity
    0.74
    N/A
    Interest Coverage
    N/A
    6.41
    Net Debt / EBITDA
    2.18
    2.12%
    Dividend Yield
    2.40%
    CNP: 2Ties: 2UNH: 8
    CNPUNH

    Historical Fundamentals

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    CNP

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    UNH

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    $1 Retained Earnings Test

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    CNP
    $4.53
    created per $1 retained over 3 years
    Exceptional Value Creator
    Σ Retained
    $1.36B
    Δ Market Cap
    +$6.15B
    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
    UNH
    $-7.37
    created per $1 retained over 3 years
    Market Cap Declined
    Σ Retained
    $26.63B
    Δ Market Cap
    $-196.16B
    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

    Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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    CNP
    2822.1% Overvalued
    Price is 2822.1% above estimated fair value
    Current Price: $43.35
    Fair Value: $1.48
    Strongly undervalued
    Undervalued
    Fairly valued
    Overvalued
    Strongly overvalued
    UNH
    9.6% Overvalued
    Price is 9.6% above estimated fair value
    Current Price: $368.78
    Fair Value: $336.33
    Strongly undervalued
    Undervalued
    Fairly valued
    Overvalued
    Strongly overvalued

    Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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    CNP

    Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

    UNH

    What growth rate is the market pricing in at $369?

    +13.9%
    Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
    Standard FCF implies +8.7%

    The market implies +13.9% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

    Standard FCF implies a demanding +8.7%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

    Economic Moat Score

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    CNP
    36/100
    No Moat
    70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

    No durable moat detected, though margin stability shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

    Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
    UNH
    64/100
    Narrow Moat
    70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

    Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving margin stability would strengthen the moat.

    Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

    Forensic Accounting

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    CNP
    -2.57
    Unlikely Manipulator
    Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

    M-Score Trend

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
    UNH
    -2.45
    Unlikely Manipulator
    Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

    M-Score Trend

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

    Ownership Breakdown

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    CNP
    Insiders 0.2%Institutions 101.6%
    No. of Institutional Holders1,091
    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
    UNH
    Insiders 0.8%Institutions 84.7%Retail & Other 14.5%
    No. of Institutional Holders4,077
    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

    Insider Buying Activity

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    CNP
    0
    Buys (3M)
    1
    Buys (12M)
    Total value (12M): $100,772
    FITCH LAURIE LEE
    Director
    $100,772
    @ $37.32 · 2025-05-12
    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
    UNH
    0
    Buys (3M)
    5
    Buys (12M)
    Total value (12M): $31.61M
    HEMSLEY STEPHEN J
    Chief Executive Officer
    $25.02M
    @ $288.57 · 2025-05-16
    REX JOHN F
    President
    $5.00M
    @ $291.12 · 2025-05-16
    GIL KRISTEN
    Director
    $1.00M
    @ $271.17 · 2025-05-15
    NOSEWORTHY JOHN H
    Director
    $93,647
    @ $312.16 · 2025-05-14
    FLYNN TIMOTHY PATRICK
    Director
    $491,786
    @ $320.80 · 2025-05-14
    FLYNN TIMOTHY PATRICK
    Director
    $511,575
    @ $511.57 · 2025-01-17
    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

    Insider Selling Activity

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    CNP
    0
    Sells (3M)
    1
    Sells (12M)
    Total value (12M): $240,746
    SMITH PHILLIP R
    Director
    $240,746
    @ $38.83 · 2025-11-06
    POUND THEODORE F III
    Director
    $210,554
    @ $34.50 · 2025-03-03
    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
    UNH
    1
    Sells (3M)
    2
    Sells (12M)
    Total value (12M): $463,645
    CONWAY PATRICK HUGH M.D.
    Officer
    $284,000
    @ $355.00 · 2026-04-23
    CONWAY PATRICK HUGH M.D.
    Chief Executive Officer
    $179,645
    @ $305.00 · 2025-06-10
    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

    🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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    CNP
    FearGreed
    😏Greed(62/100)

    "Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

    Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
    UNH
    FearGreed
    😏Greed(65/100)

    "Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

    Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

    Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

    ⚖️ Buffett Signal

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    CNP
    Awaiting DCF Data

    The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

    DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (62)
    UNH
    Awaiting DCF Data

    The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

    DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (65)
    View CNP Full AnalysisView UNH Full Analysis
    CNP vs UNH: Which Is the Better Buy? | SafetyMargin.io