ECHO vs. UAL: EchoStar vs. United Airlines Stock Comparison
How do EchoStar (ECHO) and United Airlines (UAL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
EchoStar (ECHO) and United Airlines (UAL) both fall under the Transportation industry group, but ECHO is classified in Air Freight & Logistics while UAL is classified in Passenger Airlines.
| Profile Item | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | EchoStar Corp. Class A Common Stock | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Transportation | Transportation |
| GICS Industry | Air Freight & Logistics | Passenger Airlines |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Air Freight & Logistics | Passenger Airlines |
| Market Capitalization | 27.53 billion USD | 36.63 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 2, 2008 | February 6, 2006 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 36.02% | 22.35% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 114.76% | 47.27% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 29.96% | 17.68% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 55.50% | 48.88% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.08 | 1.32 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -68.02% | -49.19% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.68M | 4.24M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.57 | 0.37 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.86 | 0.59 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but EchoStar (ECHO) at 82.35% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; United Airlines (UAL) at 22.31% also sits in the top quartile.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
82.35%
- ECHO
- 82.35%
- Max
- 45.08%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
UAL
Transportation industry group
22.31%
- Max
- 45.08%
- UAL
- 22.31%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
Net Margin (TTM)
EchoStar (ECHO) at 81.29% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while United Airlines (UAL) at 5.46% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
81.29%
- ECHO
- 81.29%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- Median
- 5.58%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
UAL
Transportation industry group
5.46%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- Median
- 5.58%
- UAL
- 5.46%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both EchoStar (ECHO) at 13.82% and United Airlines (UAL) at 7.03% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
13.82%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- ECHO
- 13.82%
- Median
- 11.50%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
UAL
Transportation industry group
7.03%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- UAL
- 7.03%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 82.35% | 22.31% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.09% | 3.31% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 81.29% | 5.46% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 13.82% | 7.03% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 32.49% | 30.87% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
United Airlines (UAL) at 3.52% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while EchoStar (ECHO) at -5.18% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: United Airlines (UAL) reports EPS growth of 7.94%, ranked against its industry; EchoStar (ECHO) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -5.18% | 3.52% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -6.97% | 9.53% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 7.94% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 66.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
EchoStar (ECHO) at 10.16 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while United Airlines (UAL) at 0.75 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
10.16
- ECHO
- 10.16
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.75
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- UAL
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
EchoStar (ECHO) at 0.57 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while United Airlines (UAL) at 1.93 uses more debt funding than most peers.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
0.57
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- ECHO
- 0.57
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
UAL
Transportation industry group
1.93
- Max
- 2.75
- UAL
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 10.16 | 0.75 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.57 | 1.93 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.14 | 2.79 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither EchoStar (ECHO) nor United Airlines (UAL) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- ECHO
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- UAL
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither EchoStar (ECHO) nor United Airlines (UAL) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- ECHO
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- UAL
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both EchoStar (ECHO) at 3.43 and United Airlines (UAL) at 10.32 sit in the cheaper earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, with the market paying less for a dollar of trailing earnings than it pays for typical peers.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
3.43
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- ECHO
- 3.43
- Min
- 0.00
UAL
Transportation industry group
10.32
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- UAL
- 10.32
- Min
- 0.00
P/S Ratio (TTM)
United Airlines (UAL) at 0.56 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while EchoStar (ECHO) at 2.26 sits in the pricier quartile — ECHO costs more per dollar of sales.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
2.26
- Max
- 4.35
- ECHO
- 2.26
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.56
- Max
- 4.35
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- UAL
- 0.56
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both EchoStar (ECHO) at 1.62 and United Airlines (UAL) at 2.06 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
ECHO
Transportation industry group
1.62
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 1.90
- ECHO
- 1.62
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
UAL
Transportation industry group
2.06
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- UAL
- 2.06
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ECHO | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 3.43 | 10.32 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.26 | 0.56 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.62 | 2.06 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -8.28% | -1.57% |