LTM vs. UAL: LATAM Airlines vs. United Airlines Stock Comparison
How do LATAM Airlines (LTM) 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
LATAM Airlines (LTM) and United Airlines (UAL) are both classified in the Passenger Airlines sub-industry within the broader Passenger Airlines industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
United Airlines (UAL) carries decades of public-market history since February 6, 2006, while LATAM Airlines (LTM) listed on July 25, 2024 — long-window comparisons have far more historical data on the UAL side.
United Airlines (UAL) trades as ordinary local shares, while LATAM Airlines (LTM) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | LATAM Airlines Group S.A. ADR | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. |
| Country/Region | Chile | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Transportation | Transportation |
| GICS Industry | Passenger Airlines | Passenger Airlines |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Passenger Airlines | Passenger Airlines |
| Market Capitalization | 13.60 billion USD | 36.63 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | July 25, 2024 | February 6, 2006 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.94% | 22.35% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -- | 47.27% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -- | 17.68% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
United Airlines (UAL) has an aggressive beta of 1.32, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while LATAM Airlines (LTM) is defensive at 0.64 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 45.42% | 48.88% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.64 | 1.32 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -37.94% | -49.19% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 862.11K | 4.24M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.19 | 0.37 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.30 | 0.59 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 98.02% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; United Airlines (UAL) at 22.31% also sits in the top quartile.
LTM
Transportation industry group
98.02%
- LTM
- 98.02%
- 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)
Both LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 9.82% and United Airlines (UAL) at 5.46% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
LTM
Transportation industry group
9.82%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- LTM
- 9.82%
- 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 LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 13.14% and United Airlines (UAL) at 7.03% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
LTM
Transportation industry group
13.14%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- LTM
- 13.14%
- 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 | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 98.02% | 22.31% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.59% | 3.31% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.82% | 5.46% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 13.14% | 7.03% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 24.99% | 30.87% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 11.16% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while United Airlines (UAL) at 3.52% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for LTM.
EPS Growth
LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 53.28% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while United Airlines (UAL) at 7.94% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for LTM.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 11.16% | 3.52% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 15.07% | 9.53% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 53.28% | 7.94% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -2.05% | 66.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 0.68 and United Airlines (UAL) at 0.75 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
LTM
Transportation industry group
0.68
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- LTM
- 0.68
- 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)
Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but LTM is more stretched: United Airlines (UAL) at 1.93 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 4.18 is above its industry benchmark range.
LTM
Transportation industry group
4.18
- LTM
- 4.18
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- 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 | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.68 | 0.75 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 4.18 | 1.93 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.75 | 2.79 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
United Airlines (UAL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile LATAM Airlines (LTM) reports a yield of 0.00%, ranking against industry peers normally.
LTM
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- LTM
- 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)
United Airlines (UAL) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile LATAM Airlines (LTM) reports a payout of 27.08%, ranking against industry peers normally.
LTM
Transportation industry group
27.08%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- LTM
- 27.08%
- Median
- 20.43%
- 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 | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 27.08% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 8.44 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.
LTM
Transportation industry group
8.44
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- LTM
- 8.44
- 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)
On P/S ratio, both LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 0.82 and United Airlines (UAL) at 0.56 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
LTM
Transportation industry group
0.82
- Max
- 4.35
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- LTM
- 0.82
- 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)
United Airlines (UAL) at 2.06 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while LATAM Airlines (LTM) at 5.96 carries an above-peer premium to book — LTM is pricier on assets.
LTM
Transportation industry group
5.96
- Max
- 6.29
- LTM
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 1.90
- 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 | LTM | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 8.44 | 10.32 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 0.56 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.96 | 2.06 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 11.80% | -1.57% |