Sandisk Corporation (SNDK) vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-11-01, SNDK is undervalued at $1151, with a DCF intrinsic value of $4891 and a margin of safety of 76%. UNH is overvalued at $407, with an intrinsic value of $367 and a margin of safety of -11%. Of the two, SNDK has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★Gross margin of 80.0% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $16.26 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★Altman Z-Score of 18.60 indicates very low bankruptcy risk — the company is firmly in the safe zone.
- ★UnitedHealth Group Incorporated scores 73/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
Risks
- ⚠FCF yield of 6.9% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $119.4M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
- ⚠ROIC has declined by 6.9 percentage points over the past 4 years, which may signal competitive erosion.
- ⚠Gross margin of 20.0% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
- ⚠FCF yield of 7.3% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $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 →Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →What growth rate is the market pricing in at $1151?
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $407?
The market implies +14.2% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +4.2%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.
Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →Insufficient data for Beneish M-Score calculation (requires 2+ years).
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.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"
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 →The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
Frequently Asked Questions: SNDK vs UNH
Is Sandisk Corporation or UnitedHealth Group Incorporated more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, SNDK trades at a 76.5% margin of safety (intrinsic value $4891 vs. price $1151), compared to UNH's -10.8% margin of safety (intrinsic $367 vs. $407).
Which stock has a wider economic moat, Sandisk Corporation or UnitedHealth Group Incorporated?▼
UNH scores 73/100 (Wide moat), while SNDK scores 33/100 (None moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.
Is UnitedHealth Group Incorporated in financial distress?▼
UNH's Altman Z-Score of 2.9 places it in the Grey zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. SNDK scores 18.6 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.
Which company has better free cash flow, Sandisk Corporation or UnitedHealth Group Incorporated?▼
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) generates a 7.3% free cash flow yield, compared to Sandisk Corporation's 6.9%. A higher FCF yield means the business converts more of its market value into cash that can be returned to shareholders or reinvested.
Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Sandisk Corporation or UnitedHealth Group Incorporated?▼
SNDK earns 99.3% ROIC versus UNH's 11.5%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.