Stock fact sheet · data as of
Elevance Health Inc. (ELV): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Healthcare · Medical - Healthcare Plans · United States · Defensive
Is ELV undervalued?
At 428.43 (close of 16 Oct 2026), ELV trades within a few percent of the GLS average fair value of 452.33 (5.3% below fair value). 9 models produced a value and they split 4 above the price to 5 below. A stock priced at fair value earns about half of the Wheel Score's Value points; the rest of the score comes from health, moat, premium and stability.
There is a wide gap between GLS Growth (66.80) and DCF (918.31). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
The nightly engine files ELV under Defensive: a low beta, a dividend and positive earnings.
Nine valuation models for ELV
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 918.31 | +114% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 324.90 | -24% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 831.36 | +94% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 328.33 | -23% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 66.80 | -84% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 693.85 | +62% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 553.30 | +29% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 101.09 | -76% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 253.07 | -41% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -243.20 | -157% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 445.13 | +4% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Elevance Health Inc. scores 8 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, the nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency on the latest annual accounts - a strong reading that passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule with room to spare. On durability ELV scores 6.2/10 on the GLS Moat - a middle reading; the Scorecard on the Quote page's Financials tab shows which ten-year lines are steady and which are not.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 7.3%, ROE 12.9%, ROA 4.7% - with debt at 0.76 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 6.8%.
The dividend yield is 1.60% at a payout ratio of 30%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold. Revenue comes mainly from Health Benefits 69%, Carelon Services 31% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 6/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 8 / 9 | ROIC | 7.3% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.2 / 10 | ROE | 12.9% |
| Debt / equity | 0.76 | ROA | 4.7% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 6.8% | Payout ratio | 30% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 6 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 81: Prime
With a Wheel Score of 81, Elevance Health Inc. sits in the Prime band - price, quality and premium all line up for the wheel strategy. The parts: Value 15/25, Health 18/20, Moat 9/15, Premium 20/20, Stability 19/20. A high score is a ranking, not a signal: it says nothing about timing, the earnings date or your position size.
Implied volatility is 37% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is 32,925 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 1.5M shares a day on a market cap of $92.9B, with a beta of 0.71 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 19 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 15 / 25 | 5% margin of safety | |
| Health | 18 / 20 | Piotroski 8/9 | |
| Moat | 9 / 15 | moat 6.2/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 37% | |
| Stability | 19 / 20 | 1.5M shares/day, $92.9B cap, beta 0.71 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Elevance Health Inc. reports earnings on 21 Oct 2026 (before the open) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Medical - Healthcare Plans
The 12 companies below are the closest to Elevance Health Inc. by market cap within the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CI Cigna Corporation | 298.81 | 611.26 | +51% | 90Prime | $79.0B |
| CVS CVS Health Corp. | 92.58 | 112.66 | +18% | 80Prime | $118.4B |
| HUM Humana Inc. | 432.20 | 240.89 | -79% | 59Fair | $51.9B |
| CNC Centene Corp. | 70.51 | 237.84 | +70% | 45Weak | $34.8B |
| UNH UnitedHealth Group Incorporated | 395.62 | 308.02 | -28% | 64Fair | $355.1B |
| MOH Molina Healthcare, Inc. | 212.50 | 398.47 | +47% | 45Weak | $11.1B |
| OSCR Oscar Health, Inc. | 33.47 | 100.82 | +67% | 75Good | $8.7B |
| CLOV Clover Health Investments, Corp. | 4.68 | 2.86 | -63% | 40Weak | $2.5B |
| PGNY Progyny, Inc. | 27.84 | 39.08 | +29% | 83Prime | $2.1B |
| ALHC Alignment Healthcare, Inc. | 8.15 | 10.28 | +21% | 70Good | $1.7B |
| MRAI Marpai, Inc. | 3.19 | - | - | 20No options | $86M |
| PFHO Pacific Health Care Organization, Inc. | 0.9400 | 2.03 | +54% | 39No options | $12M |
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about ELV
Is ELV undervalued right now?
Not meaningfully: at 428.43 the stock trades within a few percent of the GLS average fair value of 452.33 (5.3% below fair value, data as of 16 Oct 2026).
What is the Wheel Score of ELV and what does it mean?
ELV scores 81 out of 100 (Prime). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for ELV?
452.33 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Elevance Health Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 21 Oct 2026 (before the open), 5 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does ELV have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 848 listed contracts with 32,925 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 37% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.