SYM vs. UAL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 29, 2025

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

Company Profile

Symbol	SYM	UAL
Company Name	Symbotic Inc.	United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry	Machinery	Passenger Airlines
Market Capitalization	28.18 billion USD	33.74 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGM	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	March 9, 2021	February 6, 2006
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of SYM and UAL 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.

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

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	SYM	UAL
5-Day Price Return	8.72%	7.23%
13-Week Price Return	55.42%	33.30%
26-Week Price Return	95.06%	8.68%
52-Week Price Return	109.62%	143.60%
Month-to-Date Return	-11.53%	18.00%
Year-to-Date Return	101.31%	7.32%
10-Day Avg. Volume	1.79M	4.19M
3-Month Avg. Volume	2.05M	6.93M
3-Month Volatility	89.22%	51.46%
Beta	2.05	1.52

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

SYM

-7.69%

Machinery Industry

Max: 34.68%
Q3: 19.06%
Median: 13.13%
Q1: 8.53%
Min: -4.87%

SYM has a negative Return on Equity of -7.69%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

UAL

26.43%

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s Return on Equity of 26.43% is on par with the norm for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

SYM

-0.71%

Machinery Industry

Max: 19.74%
Q3: 11.24%
Median: 8.13%
Q1: 5.38%
Min: -1.11%

SYM has a negative Net Profit Margin of -0.71%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

UAL

5.71%

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s Net Profit Margin of 5.71% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

SYM

-5.20%

Machinery Industry

Max: 26.63%
Q3: 16.15%
Median: 11.27%
Q1: 7.72%
Min: -4.91%

SYM has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -5.20%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

UAL

8.62%

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s Operating Profit Margin of 8.62% is around the midpoint for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	SYM	UAL
Return on Equity (TTM)	-7.69%	26.43%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-0.88%	4.41%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-0.71%	5.71%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-5.20%	8.62%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	16.30%	64.15%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

SYM

1.08

Machinery Industry

Max: 3.83
Q3: 2.32
Median: 1.72
Q1: 1.28
Min: 0.78

SYM’s Current Ratio of 1.08 falls into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

UAL

0.70

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s Current Ratio of 0.70 aligns with the median group of the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

SYM

0.00

Machinery Industry

Max: 1.49
Q3: 0.75
Median: 0.44
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SYM’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.00 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

UAL

2.02

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.02 is typical for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

SYM

Machinery Industry

Max: 67.55
Q3: 33.79
Median: 13.87
Q1: 7.97
Min: -1.43

Interest Coverage Ratio data for SYM is currently unavailable.

UAL

5.76

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.76 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	SYM	UAL
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.08	0.70
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.90	0.62
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.00	2.02
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	5.76

Growth

Revenue Growth

SYM vs. UAL: 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

SYM vs. UAL: 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)

SYM

0.00%

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.32%
Q3: 2.84%
Median: 1.87%
Q1: 1.09%
Min: 0.00%

SYM 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.

UAL

0.00%

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL 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.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

SYM

0.00%

Machinery Industry

Max: 202.17%
Q3: 98.65%
Median: 55.54%
Q1: 29.03%
Min: 0.00%

SYM 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.

UAL

0.00%

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL 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.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	SYM	UAL
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

SYM

Machinery Industry

Max: 53.66
Q3: 31.29
Median: 22.00
Q1: 16.18
Min: 7.00

P/E Ratio data for SYM is currently unavailable.

UAL

9.78

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s P/E Ratio of 9.78 is within the middle range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

SYM

11.92

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.04
Q3: 2.72
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.04
Min: 0.24

With a P/S Ratio of 11.92, SYM trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Machinery industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

UAL

0.56

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s P/S Ratio of 0.56 aligns with the market consensus for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

SYM

108.69

Machinery Industry

Max: 7.23
Q3: 3.90
Median: 2.52
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.49

At 108.69, SYM’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Machinery 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.

UAL

1.94

Passenger Airlines Industry

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

UAL’s P/B Ratio of 1.94 is within the conventional range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

SYM vs. UAL: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Machinery and Passenger Airlines industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	SYM	UAL
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	--	9.78
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	11.92	0.56
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	108.69	1.94
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	54.72	8.00