United Therapeutics or AbbVie: Which Stock Has More Upside?

ABBV: AbbVie logo
ABBV
AbbVie

AbbVie fell -5.2% during the past Day. You may be tempted to buy more or may want to reduce your exposure. But there is an entirely different perspective you might be missing. Is there a better alternative? Turns out, its peer United Therapeutics gives you more. United Therapeutics (UTHR) stock offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs AbbVie (ABBV) stock, suggesting you may be better off investing in UTHR

  • UTHR’s Last 12 Months revenue growth was 10.6%, vs. ABBV’s 8.6%.
  • In addition, its Last 3-Year Average revenue growth came in at 18.1%, ahead of ABBV’s 1.9%.
  • UTHR leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 47.6% and 3-year average of 49.6%.

These differences become even clearer when you look at the financials side by side. The table highlights how ABBV’s fundamentals stack up against those of UTHR on growth, margins, momentum, and valuation multiples.

Trefis: ABBV Stock Insights

Valuation & Performance Overview

ABBV UTHR Preferred
Valuation
P/EBIT Ratio 18.3 15.2 UTHR
Revenue Growth
Last Quarter 10.0% 7.4% ABBV
Last 12 Months 8.6% 10.6% UTHR
Last 3 Year Average 1.9% 18.1% UTHR
Operating Margins
Last 12 Months 32.8% 47.6% UTHR
Last 3 Year Average 26.3% 49.6% UTHR
Momentum
Last 3 Year Return 50.6% 141.4% UTHR

Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: ABBV Revenue Comparison | UTHR Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: ABBV Operating Income Comparison | UTHR Operating Income Comparison

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See detailed fundamentals on Buy or Sell UTHR Stock and Buy or Sell ABBV Stock. Below we compare market return and related metrics across years.

Historical Market Performance

2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Total [1] Avg Best
Returns
ABBV Return 32% 24% -0% 19% 33% -3% 151%
UTHR Return 42% 29% -21% 60% 38% 11% 256% <===
S&P 500 Return 27% -19% 24% 23% 16% -2% 79%
Monthly Win Rates [3]
ABBV Win Rate 75% 67% 50% 67% 67% 33% 60% <===
UTHR Win Rate 67% 42% 42% 58% 50% 67% 54%
S&P 500 Win Rate 75% 42% 67% 75% 67% 33% 60%
Max Drawdowns [4]
ABBV Max Drawdown -3% -2% -16% 0% -4% -6% -5% <===
UTHR Max Drawdown 0% -23% -26% -4% -22% -5% -13%
S&P 500 Max Drawdown -1% -25% -1% -2% -15% -3% -8%

[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2021
[2] 2026 data is for the year up to 3/18/2026 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year

No matter how good the numbers, stock investment is never a smooth ride. There is a risk you must factor in. Read UTHR Dip Buyer Analyses and ABBV Dip Buyer Analyses to see how these stocks have fallen and recovered in the past.

Still not sure about ABBV or UTHR? Consider a portfolio approach.

The Right Way To Invest Is Through Portfolios

Stocks can jump or crash, but long-term success comes from staying invested. The right portfolio helps you ride gains and cushion single-stock drops.

The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? HQ Portfolio has posted more than 105% in cumulative return since inception, with less risk versus the benchmark index, as is evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.