2 Dirt Cheap Stocks to Buy With $5,000 Right Now

Key Points

• The Shiller price-to-earnings ratio, an indicator of how expensive the market is, is near historical highs.

• UnitedHealth Group's stock price saw a significant drop this year amid federal probes and falling earnings.

• Alphabet maintains a strong position in search and is capitalizing on long-term growth opportunities like Waymo and Google Cloud.

• 10 stocks we like better than UnitedHealth Group ›

The current market is undeniably expensive, with the Shiller price-to-earnings ratio (also called the CAPE ratio) nearing historical highs and many stocks priced at eye-popping valuations. Sorting through this pricey terrain to find bargains can feel akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Amid the pile of stocks with elevated prices, there remain a few diamonds in the rough, quality companies trading at reasonable valuations. If you have $5,000 available to invest that isn't needed for monthly bills, to bolster an emergency fund, or to pay down short-term debt, you might want to consider putting it toward buying shares of either (or both) of these value stocks. Here's why.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

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UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has faced a turbulent 2025 so far, with its stock price down nearly 32% since the start of the year. The company has had to manage several issues.

For one, the health insurer is facing multiple federal investigations that have added significant legal and reputational pressure. The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched both civil and criminal probes into alleged upcoding, where patients are categorized into higher-cost tiers to boost reimbursements. Investigators are also examining its pharmacy benefit manager as the government increases its scrutiny on healthcare "middlemen."

On top of that, the company underestimated the acceleration of medical trends when setting premiums for 2025, especially in its government-backed segments. Its 2025 pricing assumptions were well short of actual medical costs. For example, care activity increased at twice the rate anticipated for its Medicare Advantage business in the first quarter. There has been a sharp rise in medical cost ratios, which worsened by 430 basis points to 89.4% in the second quarter.

This spike in care utilization caught the company off guard, resulting in an earnings miss in the second quarter, as adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $4.08, significantly below forecasts. The company slashed its full-year earnings guidance to $16 per share, down from its initial midpoint guidance of $26.25 per share earlier this year.

Analysts have lowered price targets across the board as UnitedHealth stock sold off over the past several months, and this year is now being viewed as a reset year. The company maintains a significant share of the U.S. health insurance market. And optimism persists for 2026, hinging on premium adjustments, provider renegotiations, and growth in the Optum segment.

With the stock priced at 19.4 times next year's forecast earnings, $5,000 will get you almost 14 shares. UnitedHealth is relatively cheap on a historical basis and has some potential for investors seeking a bargain in an otherwise expensive market.

Alphabet

Despite its status as one of the world's largest tech giants, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL)(NASDAQ: GOOG) trades at a forward P/E ratio in the mid-20s (the S&P 500 P/E is at 30.2). $5,000 will get you almost 21 shares. This pricing is appealing considering Alphabet's commanding market position and the high margins of its core search business.

It's a powerhouse in the search arena, processing 5 trillion queries annually and boasting over 2 billion users across diverse platforms, including Android, YouTube, Gmail, and the Play Store. The search division stands as a reliable cash cow, generating a whopping $104.9 billion in the first half of this year alone while growing 11%.

While there have been discussions about the potential impact of large language models on its search business, Google is adapting with its own models. Its AI Overviews, powered by Gemini, are already driving an extra 10% in global queries for relevant searches. Its monetization trends remain consistent even with the integration of these AI Overviews.

There are other upsides to the business. For example, ventures like Waymo and the AI infrastructure present promising growth prospects. Waymo, which started as an ambitious "moonshot," has morphed into a leader in fully autonomous driving technology. Its service expansion now accommodates over a quarter of a million paid passenger trips weekly -- a fivefold surge from just a year ago.

Meanwhile, Google Cloud is riding a wave of strong customer demand, bolstered by its AI product portfolio. Deals exceeding $250 million have doubled year over year, and the influx of new Google Cloud Platform customers has surged by nearly 28% quarter over quarter.

With over $95 billion in cash reserves, Alphabet holds a strong position of flexibility to both return capital and invest in future growth, making it an attractive technology stock to buy in today's pricey market.

Should you invest $1,000 in UnitedHealth Group right now?

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Courtney Carlsen has positions in Alphabet and UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.