UAL vs. WSO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at UAL and WSO, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | UAL | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | Watsco, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Passenger Airlines | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 33.13 billion USD | 16.69 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 6, 2006 | June 7, 1984 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of UAL and WSO 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | UAL | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.15% | -4.01% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 34.66% | -10.54% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -3.92% | -20.26% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 146.96% | -14.75% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 15.89% | -9.51% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 5.40% | -13.90% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 5.25M | 0.28M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 7.25M | 0.33M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 51.97% | 27.58% |
| Beta | 1.51 | 0.96 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
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.
WSO
19.73%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 32.33%
- Q3
- 19.92%
- Median
- 14.05%
- Q1
- 11.46%
- Min
- 0.91%
WSO’s Return on Equity of 19.73% is on par with the norm for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
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.
WSO
7.08%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 17.73%
- Q3
- 10.81%
- Median
- 6.13%
- Q1
- 4.33%
- Min
- 2.09%
WSO’s Net Profit Margin of 7.08% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
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.
WSO
10.26%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 25.50%
- Q3
- 15.13%
- Median
- 7.46%
- Q1
- 5.44%
- Min
- 3.55%
WSO’s Operating Profit Margin of 10.26% is around the midpoint for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | UAL | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 26.43% | 19.73% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 4.41% | 11.69% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 5.71% | 7.08% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 8.62% | 10.26% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 64.15% | 27.54% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
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.
WSO
3.08
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 2.82
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.60
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.46
WSO’s Current Ratio of 3.08 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
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.
WSO
0.01
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 1.18
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.54
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, WSO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.01 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
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.
WSO
140.00
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 15.13
- Q3
- 7.93
- Median
- 5.75
- Q1
- 2.70
- Min
- -1.67
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 140.00, WSO demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | UAL | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.70 | 3.08 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.62 | 1.26 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 2.02 | 0.01 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 5.76 | 140.00 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
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.
WSO
2.58%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.99%
- Q3
- 3.04%
- Median
- 1.94%
- Q1
- 1.22%
- Min
- 0.00%
WSO’s Dividend Yield of 2.58% is consistent with its peers in the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
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.
WSO
84.37%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 95.14%
- Q3
- 62.08%
- Median
- 51.17%
- Q1
- 26.24%
- Min
- 0.00%
WSO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 84.37% is in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | UAL | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 2.58% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 84.37% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
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.
WSO
32.64
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 48.55
- Q3
- 26.73
- Median
- 17.17
- Q1
- 10.78
- Min
- 1.62
A P/E Ratio of 32.64 places WSO in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
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.
WSO
2.31
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.88
- Q3
- 2.56
- Median
- 1.02
- Q1
- 0.60
- Min
- 0.29
WSO’s P/S Ratio of 2.31 aligns with the market consensus for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
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.
WSO
6.47
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 8.77
- Q3
- 4.33
- Median
- 2.00
- Q1
- 1.11
- Min
- 0.35
WSO’s P/B Ratio of 6.47 is in the upper tier for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | UAL | WSO |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 9.78 | 32.64 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 0.56 | 2.31 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.94 | 6.47 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 8.00 | 23.35 |