Which Is a Better Investment, Encompass Health Corporation or Elevance Health, Inc. Stock?

By Rosalio Madrigal
August 01, 2026
Large versus logo comparing two stocks in the same industry
Featured Tickers:

Sifting through countless of stocks in the Health Care Providers & Services industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Elevance Health, Inc. or Encompass Health Corporation because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation

Elevance Health, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health benefits company in the United States. The company operates in four segments: Health Benefits, CarelonRx, Carelon Services, and Corporate & Other. It offers a variety of health plans and services to individual, employer group risk-based and fee-based, BlueCard, Medicare, Medicaid, and FEP members; health products; a broad array of fee-based administrative managed care services; and specialty and other insurance products and services, such as stop loss, dental, vision, and supplemental health insurance benefits. The company also operates in the pharmacy services business; and markets and offers pharmacy services, including home delivery and specialty pharmacies, claims adjudication, formulary management, pharmacy networks, rebate administration, a prescription drug database, and member services, as well as infusion services and injectable therapies through ambulatory infusion centers. In addition, it provides healthcare related services and capabilities, including specialty care enablement and utilization management support for specialized clinical domains; behavioral health and comprehensive care management services; palliative care services and management; virtual care; and payment integrity, subrogation, clinical data exchange through its HealthOS platform, research and data, reporting and clinical analytics, information technology, and business process support services, as well as manages home health, post-acute institutional management, and durable medical equipment costs; and supports plans in managing home and community-based services. The company provides its services under the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Wellpoint, and Carelon brands. The company was formerly known as Anthem, Inc. and changed its name to Elevance Health, Inc. in June 2022. Elevance Health, Inc. was incorporated in 2001 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Encompass Health Corporation operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the United States and Puerto Rico. The company offers specialized rehabilitative treatment, using technology and therapy, on an inpatient basis for patients recovering from a major injury or illness and seeking to regain functional ability, independence, and quality of life; medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services; and rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from conditions, such as stroke and other neurological disorders, cardiac and pulmonary conditions, brain and spinal cord injuries, complex orthopedic conditions, and amputations. It offers services through the Medicare program to the federal government, managed care plans and private insurers, state governments, and other patients. The company was formerly known as HealthSouth Corporation and changed its name to Encompass Health Corporation in January 2018. Encompass Health Corporation was incorporated in 1984 and is based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Latest Health Care Providers & Services and Elevance Health, Inc., Encompass Health Corporation Stock News

As of July 31, 2026, Elevance Health, Inc. had a $81.5 billion market capitalization, compared to the Health Care Providers & Services median of $1.7 million. Elevance Health, Inc.’s stock is up 7.2% in 2026, down 0.5% in the previous five trading days and up 28.03% in the past year.

Currently, Elevance Health, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 16.7. Elevance Health, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $201.1 billion with a 2.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 1.4%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $27.158 per share for the current fiscal year. Elevance Health, Inc. currently has a 1.8% dividend yield.

As of July 31, 2026, Encompass Health Corporation had a $11.0 billion market cap, putting it in the 79th percentile of all stocks. Encompass Health Corporation’s stock is up 4.6% in 2026, down 1.6% in the previous five trading days and up 1.01% in the past year.

Currently, Encompass Health Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 19.0. Encompass Health Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $6.1 billion with a 10.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 9.0%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $6.005 per share for the current fiscal year. Encompass Health Corporation currently has a 0.7% dividend yield.

How We Compare Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

Learn more about A+ Investor here!

Sign Up to Receive a Free Special Report Showing How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Smarter Investment Decisions

Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation Growth Grades

Company Ticker Growth
Elevance Health, Inc. ELV A
Encompass Health Corporation EHC A

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Elevance Health, Inc. has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong. Encompass Health Corporation has a Growth Score of 89, which is Very Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Growth Grade breakdown above, both Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation have a grade of A. For investors who focus solely on a company’s upward growth, further research should be conducted into both companies’ other financial metrics before deciding whether to invest.

Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
Elevance Health, Inc. ELV C
Encompass Health Corporation EHC C

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Elevance Health, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 60, which is Average. Encompass Health Corporation has a Momentum Score of 45, which is Average.

The Momentum Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Elevance Health, Inc. or Encompass Health Corporation has a strong enough Momentum Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Elevance Health, Inc. or Encompass Health Corporation is the better investment when it comes to momentum.

Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
Elevance Health, Inc. ELV B
Encompass Health Corporation EHC C

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Elevance Health, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 70, which is Positive. Encompass Health Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 60, which is Neutral.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Elevance Health, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Elevance Health, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than Encompass Health Corporation. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Elevance Health, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Growth, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

AAII Platinum Banner

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Elevance Health, Inc. or Encompass Health Corporation Stock?

Overall, Elevance Health, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 100, Momentum Score of 60 and Estimate Revisions Score of 70.

Encompass Health Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 89, Momentum Score of 45 and Estimate Revisions Score of 60.

Comparing Elevance Health, Inc. and Encompass Health Corporation’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



Find New Stock Opportunities With Included With AAII Platinum
O'Neil CAN SLIM Screen: 38.3% Compared to S&P 500
at only 23.3%

Since Inception. Data as of 12/31/2024.




Try AAII Platinum and get full access to
769.3% Stock Superstars Portfolio Total Return Since Inception
Compare to:
710.3% iShare DOW Jones
U.S. Index ETF (IYY)

SSR Group 3 O'Shaughnessy portfolio has a 411.2% gain since inception performance compared to IYY at only 119.1%% Performance as of 11/29/24.

Get your free copy of our special report analyzing the tech stocks most likely to outperform the market.

Download the FREE Report Here:

BECOME A MEMBER FOR ONLY $2

Get access to powerful investment discovery tools and a wealth of investment education to help you achieve your financial goals.