AAL vs. GE: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 22, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AAL and GE, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	AAL	GE
Company Name	American Airlines Group Inc.	GE Aerospace
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry	Passenger Airlines	Industrial Conglomerates
Market Capitalization	8.45 billion USD	282.54 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGS	NYSE
Listing Date	September 27, 2005	January 2, 1962
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AAL and GE by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AAL vs. GE: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	AAL	GE
5-Day Price Return	-0.16%	-1.21%
13-Week Price Return	7.93%	13.24%
26-Week Price Return	-18.68%	27.87%
52-Week Price Return	24.15%	55.88%
Month-to-Date Return	11.40%	-1.71%
Year-to-Date Return	-26.56%	59.75%
10-Day Avg. Volume	60.62M	4.18M
3-Month Avg. Volume	62.18M	6.09M
3-Month Volatility	53.18%	23.66%
Beta	1.40	1.53

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

AAL

265.62%

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 49.96%
Q3: 28.15%
Median: 15.41%
Q1: 8.29%
Min: -11.01%

AAL’s Return on Equity of 265.62% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

GE

40.51%

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 21.93%
Q3: 14.23%
Median: 7.81%
Q1: 5.91%
Min: -3.58%

GE’s Return on Equity of 40.51% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

AAL

1.05%

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 17.65%
Q3: 8.90%
Median: 5.80%
Q1: 2.02%
Min: -3.12%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, AAL’s Net Profit Margin of 1.05% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

GE

18.64%

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 18.70%
Q3: 12.58%
Median: 9.26%
Q1: 3.87%
Min: -2.26%

A Net Profit Margin of 18.64% places GE in the upper quartile for the Industrial Conglomerates industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

AAL

3.82%

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 22.47%
Q3: 12.33%
Median: 8.62%
Q1: 4.43%
Min: -2.88%

AAL’s Operating Profit Margin of 3.82% is in the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

GE

15.53%

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 25.69%
Q3: 17.03%
Median: 12.85%
Q1: 8.81%
Min: -0.73%

GE’s Operating Profit Margin of 15.53% is around the midpoint for the Industrial Conglomerates industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AAL	GE
Return on Equity (TTM)	265.62%	40.51%
Return on Assets (TTM)	0.90%	6.22%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	1.05%	18.64%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	3.82%	15.53%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	64.95%	35.97%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AAL

0.58

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 1.46
Q3: 0.94
Median: 0.76
Q1: 0.54
Min: 0.17

AAL’s Current Ratio of 0.58 aligns with the median group of the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

GE

1.04

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 2.19
Q3: 1.64
Median: 1.38
Q1: 1.13
Min: 0.61

GE’s Current Ratio of 1.04 falls into the lower quartile for the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

AAL

157.71

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 9.80
Q3: 4.82
Median: 1.30
Q1: 0.89
Min: 0.00

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 157.71, AAL operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Passenger Airlines industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

GE

0.99

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 2.27
Q3: 1.47
Median: 0.99
Q1: 0.66
Min: 0.21

GE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.99 is typical for the Industrial Conglomerates industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

AAL

1.75

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 22.60
Q3: 16.29
Median: 6.75
Q1: 1.94
Min: -8.55

In the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, AAL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 1.75 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

GE

5.01

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 11.17
Q3: 8.02
Median: 5.88
Q1: 2.73
Min: -2.15

GE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.01 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Industrial Conglomerates industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AAL	GE
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.58	1.04
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.44	0.73
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	157.71	0.99
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	1.75	5.01

Growth

Revenue Growth

AAL vs. GE: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

AAL vs. GE: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AAL

0.00%

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 6.71%
Q3: 3.95%
Median: 1.10%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AAL currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

GE

0.46%

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 10.17%
Q3: 5.53%
Median: 3.14%
Q1: 1.88%
Min: 0.00%

GE’s Dividend Yield of 0.46% is in the lower quartile for the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AAL

0.00%

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 71.59%
Q3: 38.54%
Median: 8.16%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AAL has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

GE

16.78%

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 181.91%
Q3: 95.57%
Median: 50.60%
Q1: 35.01%
Min: 1.76%

GE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 16.78% is in the lower quartile for the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AAL	GE
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.46%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	16.78%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

AAL

15.38

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 13.29
Q3: 11.94
Median: 8.78
Q1: 7.42
Min: 3.07

At 15.38, AAL’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

GE

36.39

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 36.98
Q3: 22.09
Median: 12.18
Q1: 8.93
Min: 5.63

A P/E Ratio of 36.39 places GE in the upper quartile for the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

AAL

0.16

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 1.09
Q3: 0.74
Median: 0.61
Q1: 0.44
Min: 0.09

In the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, AAL’s P/S Ratio of 0.16 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

GE

6.78

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 3.60
Q3: 2.10
Median: 0.68
Q1: 0.42
Min: 0.11

With a P/S Ratio of 6.78, GE trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

AAL

75.06

Passenger Airlines Industry

Max: 3.44
Q3: 2.89
Median: 1.84
Q1: 1.22
Min: 0.56

At 75.06, AAL’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Passenger Airlines industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

GE

14.26

Industrial Conglomerates Industry

Max: 4.89
Q3: 2.51
Median: 1.06
Q1: 0.60
Min: 0.27

At 14.26, GE’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

AAL vs. GE: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Passenger Airlines and Industrial Conglomerates industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AAL	GE
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	15.38	36.39
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	0.16	6.78
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	75.06	14.26
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	4.16	51.39