Compare StocksLIN vs UNH

Linde plc (LIN) vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH)

LIN
Linde plc
$489.80
VS
UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
$280.44

Rewards

LIN
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.17 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
  • Altman Z-Score of 3.51 indicates very low bankruptcy risk — the company is firmly in the safe zone.
UNH
  • 5 insider purchases over the past 12 months with a buy/sell ratio above 3:1 — a sustained pattern of insider confidence.
  • Dividend yield of 3.15% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.

Risks

LIN
  • FCF yield of 2.1% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • Insiders have sold $10.3M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
UNH
  • ROIC has declined by 7.9 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
  • Gross margin of 18.5% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • FCF yield of 5.4% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.

Key Valuation Metrics

Learn more →
LIN
UNH
Valuation
$4.79B
Free Cash Flow
$13.86B
2.11%
FCF Yield
5.45%
33.55
Trailing P/E
21.18
25.15
Forward P/E
14.08
Quality & Moat
11.15%
ROIC
0.64%
17.36%
ROE
11.85%
48.84%
Gross Margin
18.53%
N/A
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
0.71
Debt / Equity
0.82
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
1.72
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.54
1.31%
Dividend Yield
3.15%
LIN: 5Ties: 1UNH: 5
LINUNH

Historical Fundamentals

Learn more →
LIN

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

Learn more →
LIN
$3.17
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$11.71B
Δ Market Cap
+$37.08B
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

Learn more →
LIN
62.9% Overvalued
Price is 62.9% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $489.80
Fair Value: $300.66
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
UNH
4.9% Margin of Safety
Price is 4.9% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $280.44
Fair Value: $294.90
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

Learn more →
LIN

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $490?

+15.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +20.8%

The market implies +15.8% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +20.8%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

UNH

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $280?

+11.1%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +9.2%

The market implies +11.1% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +9.2%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

Learn more →
LIN
63/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving reinvestment efficiency 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.
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

Learn more →
LIN
-2.65
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

Learn more →
LIN
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 87.2%Retail & Other 12.5%
No. of Institutional Holders3,111
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 84.2%Retail & Other 14.9%
No. of Institutional Holders4,244
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

Learn more →
LIN
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $999,634
LAMBA SANJIV
Chief Executive Officer
$999,634
@ $396.68 · 2025-12-08
REYNOLDS PAULA ROSPUT
Director
$44,134
@ $441.34 · 2024-12-12
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
UNH
0
Buys (3M)
5
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $31.61M
REX JOHN F
President
$5.00M
@ $291.12 · 2025-05-16
HEMSLEY STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$25.02M
@ $288.57 · 2025-05-16
GIL KRISTEN
Director
$1.00M
@ $271.17 · 2025-05-15
FLYNN TIMOTHY PATRICK
Director
$491,786
@ $320.80 · 2025-05-14
NOSEWORTHY JOHN H
Director
$93,647
@ $312.16 · 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

Learn more →
LIN
4
Sells (3M)
6
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $37.38M
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$2.09M
@ $480.79 · 2026-03-10
DURBIN SEAN
Chief Operating Officer
$3.11M
@ $477.27 · 2026-03-10
PATWARI BINOD
Officer
$502,262
@ $502.76 · 2026-02-24
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$4.54M
@ $480.45 · 2026-02-17
ANGEL STEPHEN F
Director
$23.82M
@ $473.38 · 2025-08-07
DURBIN SEAN
Officer
$3.31M
@ $456.45 · 2025-05-22
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$2.23M
@ $461.65 · 2025-03-11
STRAUSS DAVID PAUL
Officer
$1.16M
@ $469.74 · 2025-03-03
NOWICKI JUERGEN
Officer
$3.12M
@ $459.62 · 2025-02-20
PATWARI BINOD
Officer
$640,570
@ $457.55 · 2025-02-18
WOOD ROBERT L.
Director
$1.32M
@ $456.26 · 2025-02-10
STRAUSS DAVID PAUL
Officer
$963,388
@ $434.35 · 2024-12-16
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$2.02M
@ $460.72 · 2024-12-04
PANIKAR JOHN
Officer
$4.64M
@ $462.75 · 2024-09-10
DURBIN SEAN
Officer
$1.90M
@ $456.42 · 2024-08-16
DURBIN SEAN
Officer
$1.90M
@ $456.42 · 2024-08-16
PFANN OLIVER
Officer
$463,681
@ $453.70 · 2024-08-16
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
UNH
0
Sells (3M)
1
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $179,645
CONWAY PATRICK HUGH M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
$179,645
@ $305.00 · 2025-06-10
MCSWEENEY ERIN L
Officer
$438,987
@ $626.23 · 2024-11-11
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

Learn more →
LIN
FearGreed
😐Neutral(60/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

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
😨Fear(37/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

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

Learn more →
LIN
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: Neutral (60)
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: Fear (37)
View LIN Full AnalysisView UNH Full Analysis