BIIB vs. UNH

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

BIIB (Biogen Inc.) and UNH (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated) are both stocks. Both are in the Healthcare sector — BIIB in Drug Manufacturers - General, UNH in Healthcare Plans. Over the past 10 years, BIIB returned -4.21%/yr vs 12.52%/yr for UNH. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

BIIB vs. UNH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Biogen Inc. (BIIB) and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BIIB achieves a 7.30% return, which is significantly lower than UNH's 15.37% return. Over the past 10 years, BIIB has underperformed UNH with an annualized return of -4.21%, while UNH has yielded a comparatively higher 12.52% annualized return.

BIIB

• 1D: -1.77%
• 1M: 0.95%
• YTD: 7.30%
• 6M: 4.80%
• 1Y: 43.99%
• 3Y*: -14.32%
• 5Y*: -7.08%
• 10Y*: -4.21%

UNH

• 1D: -0.51%
• 1M: 2.48%
• YTD: 15.37%
• 6M: 18.14%
• 1Y: 27.52%
• 3Y*: -7.07%
• 5Y*: 0.18%
• 10Y*: 12.52%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BIIB vs. UNH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BIIB Biogen Inc.	7.30%	15.09%	-40.91%	-6.55%	15.42%	-2.02%	-17.48%	-1.39%	-5.54%	12.34%
UNH UnitedHealth Group Incorporated	15.37%	-33.14%	-2.41%	0.80%	6.94%	45.20%	21.25%	20.00%	14.52%	39.83%

Correlation

The correlation between BIIB and UNH is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.24
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.18
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.24
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 18, 1991	0.23

The correlation between BIIB and UNH shifts across timeframes, from 0.18 (3 years) to 0.29 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

EPS BIIB : $12.48 UNH : $13.23
PE Ratio BIIB : 15.12 UNH : 28.57
PS Ratio BIIB : 2.11 UNH : 0.77
Total Revenue (TTM) BIIB : $9.86B UNH : $449.71B
Gross Profit (TTM) BIIB : $5.06B UNH : $84.55B
EBITDA (TTM) BIIB : $2.24B UNH : $22.99B

Return for Risk

BIIB vs. UNH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BIIB

BIIB Risk / Return Rank: 78
BIIB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
BIIB Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
BIIB Omega Ratio Rank: 71
BIIB Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
BIIB Martin Ratio Rank: 83

UNH

UNH Risk / Return Rank: 60
UNH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
UNH Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
UNH Omega Ratio Rank: 60
UNH Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
UNH Martin Ratio Rank: 61

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BIIB vs. UNH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Biogen Inc. (BIIB) and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BIIB	UNH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.34	0.69	+0.65
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.08	1.14	+0.94
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	1.17	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.17	0.99	+2.18
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.80	2.18	+5.62
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BIIB vs. UNH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BIIB Sharpe Ratio is 1.34, which is higher than the UNH Sharpe Ratio of 0.69. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BIIB and UNH, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BIIB	UNH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.34	0.69	+0.65
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.19	0.01	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.10	0.42	-0.52
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.22	0.63	-0.41

Drawdowns

BIIB vs. UNH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BIIB drawdown since its inception was -89.98%, which is greater than UNH's maximum drawdown of -74.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BIIB and UNH.

Drawdown Indicators

	BIIB	UNH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-89.98%	-74.37%	-15.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.34%	-28.96%	+14.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-63.82%	-61.39%	-2.43%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-72.66%	-61.39%	-11.27%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-72.66%	-61.39%	-11.27%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-60.33%	-37.35%	-22.98%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-36.60%	-14.76%	-21.84%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.83%	13.18%	-7.35%

Volatility

BIIB vs. UNH - Volatility Comparison

Biogen Inc. (BIIB) has a higher volatility of 9.17% compared to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) at 6.91%. This indicates that BIIB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UNH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BIIB	UNH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.17%	6.91%	+2.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.01%	30.89%	-6.88%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	33.03%	39.87%	-6.84%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	38.41%	31.78%	+6.63%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	41.47%	30.15%	+11.32%

Dividends

BIIB vs. UNH - Dividend Comparison

BIIB has not paid dividends to shareholders, while UNH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.34%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BIIB Biogen Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
UNH UnitedHealth Group Incorporated	2.34%	2.64%	1.62%	1.38%	1.21%	1.12%	1.38%	1.41%	1.38%	1.30%	1.48%	1.59%

Financials

BIIB vs. UNH - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Biogen Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

BIIB - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Biogen Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 2.48B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

UNH - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated reported a gross profit of 25.41B and revenue of 111.72B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 22.7%.

BIIB - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Biogen Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 2.48B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

UNH - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated reported an operating income of 8.99B and revenue of 111.72B, resulting in an operating margin of 8.1%.

BIIB - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Biogen Inc. reported a net income of 319.50M and revenue of 2.48B, resulting in a net margin of 12.9%.

UNH - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated reported a net income of 6.28B and revenue of 111.72B, resulting in a net margin of 5.6%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BIIB and UNH in my portfolio?

BIIB and UNH have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BIIB or UNH?

BIIB has higher volatility (9.17%) compared to UNH (6.91%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BIIB dropped -89.98% vs UNH's -74.37%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BIIB currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.34 vs 0.69), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.