UAL vs. UBER: United Airlines vs. Uber Stock Comparison
How do United Airlines (UAL) and Uber (UBER) 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
United Airlines (UAL) and Uber (UBER) both fall under the Transportation industry group, but UAL is classified in Passenger Airlines while UBER is classified in Ground Transportation.
| Profile Item | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Name | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | Uber Technologies Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Transportation | Transportation |
| GICS Industry | Passenger Airlines | Ground Transportation |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Passenger Airlines | Passenger Ground Transportation |
| Market Capitalization | 36.63 billion USD | 140.05 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 6, 2006 | May 10, 2019 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 22.35% | -23.08% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 47.27% | 12.23% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 17.68% | 9.23% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.88% | 35.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.32 | 1.27 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -49.19% | -55.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.24M | 17.48M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.37 | -0.78 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.59 | -1.12 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
United Airlines (UAL) at 22.31% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Uber (UBER) at 12.33% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for UAL.
UAL
Transportation industry group
22.31%
- Max
- 45.08%
- UAL
- 22.31%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
UBER
Transportation industry group
12.33%
- Max
- 45.08%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- UBER
- 12.33%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 5.46% and Uber (UBER) at 6.13% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
UAL
Transportation industry group
5.46%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- Median
- 5.58%
- UAL
- 5.46%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
UBER
Transportation industry group
6.13%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- UBER
- 6.13%
- Median
- 5.58%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 7.03% and Uber (UBER) at 9.80% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
UAL
Transportation industry group
7.03%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- UAL
- 7.03%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
UBER
Transportation industry group
9.80%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- UBER
- 9.80%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.31% | 12.33% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.31% | 6.54% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 5.46% | 6.13% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 7.03% | 9.80% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 30.87% | 41.44% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Uber (UBER) at 18.28% 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 UBER.
EPS Growth
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 7.94% and Uber (UBER) at 3.73% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 3.52% | 18.28% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.53% | 17.73% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 7.94% | 3.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 66.00% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Uber (UBER) at 1.23 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while United Airlines (UAL) at 0.75 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for UAL.
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.75
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- UAL
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.22
UBER
Transportation industry group
1.23
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- UBER
- 1.23
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Uber (UBER) at 0.61 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while United Airlines (UAL) at 1.93 uses more debt funding than most peers.
UAL
Transportation industry group
1.93
- Max
- 2.75
- UAL
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
UBER
Transportation industry group
0.61
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- UBER
- 0.61
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.75 | 1.23 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.93 | 0.61 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.79 | 0.98 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither United Airlines (UAL) nor Uber (UBER) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- UAL
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UBER
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- UBER
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither United Airlines (UAL) nor Uber (UBER) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- UAL
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UBER
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- UBER
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
United Airlines (UAL) at 10.32 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Uber (UBER) at 40.35 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
UAL
Transportation industry group
10.32
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- UAL
- 10.32
- Min
- 0.00
UBER
Transportation industry group
40.35
- Max
- 46.76
- UBER
- 40.35
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- 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 Uber (UBER) at 2.48 sits in the pricier quartile — UBER costs more per dollar of sales.
UAL
Transportation industry group
0.56
- Max
- 4.35
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- UAL
- 0.56
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
UBER
Transportation industry group
2.48
- Max
- 4.35
- UBER
- 2.48
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- 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 Uber (UBER) at 5.06 carries an above-peer premium to book — UBER is pricier on assets.
UAL
Transportation industry group
2.06
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- UAL
- 2.06
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
UBER
Transportation industry group
5.06
- Max
- 6.29
- UBER
- 5.06
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | UAL | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 10.32 | 40.35 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.56 | 2.48 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.06 | 5.06 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -1.57% | 5.29% |