UAL vs. XPO: United Airlines vs. XPO Stock Comparison
How do United Airlines (UAL) and XPO (XPO) 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 XPO (XPO) both fall under the Transportation industry group, but UAL is classified in Passenger Airlines while XPO is classified in Ground Transportation.
| Profile Item | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| Name | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | XPO, 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 | Cargo Ground Transportation |
| Market Capitalization | 36.63 billion USD | 20.62 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 6, 2006 | October 7, 2003 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 22.35% | 32.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 47.27% | 32.39% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 17.68% | 32.42% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.88% | 41.59% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.32 | 1.88 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -49.19% | -46.99% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.24M | 1.09M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.37 | 0.69 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.59 | 1.05 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 22.31% and XPO (XPO) at 26.54% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
UAL
Transportation industry group
22.31%
- Max
- 45.08%
- UAL
- 22.31%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
XPO
Transportation industry group
26.54%
- Max
- 45.08%
- XPO
- 26.54%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 5.46% and XPO (XPO) at 5.69% 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%
XPO
Transportation industry group
5.69%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- XPO
- 5.69%
- Median
- 5.58%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 7.03% and XPO (XPO) at 12.60% 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%
XPO
Transportation industry group
12.60%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- XPO
- 12.60%
- Median
- 11.50%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.31% | 26.54% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.31% | 7.12% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 5.46% | 5.69% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 7.03% | 12.60% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 30.87% | 19.30% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 3.52% and XPO (XPO) at 1.05% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 7.94% and XPO (XPO) at -18.27% 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 | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 3.52% | 1.05% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.53% | 1.86% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 7.94% | -18.27% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 66.00% | -22.90% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
XPO (XPO) at 0.99 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
XPO
Transportation industry group
0.99
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- XPO
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both United Airlines (UAL) at 1.93 and XPO (XPO) at 2.01 lean more heavily on debt funding than most peers, landing in the higher-leverage quartile of their industries.
UAL
Transportation industry group
1.93
- Max
- 2.75
- UAL
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
XPO
Transportation industry group
2.01
- Max
- 2.75
- XPO
- 2.01
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.75 | 0.99 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.93 | 2.01 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.79 | 2.53 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither United Airlines (UAL) nor XPO (XPO) 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%
XPO
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- XPO
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither United Airlines (UAL) nor XPO (XPO) 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%
XPO
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- XPO
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| 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 XPO (XPO) at 41.64 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
XPO
Transportation industry group
41.64
- Max
- 46.76
- XPO
- 41.64
- 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 XPO (XPO) at 2.33 sits in the pricier quartile — XPO 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
XPO
Transportation industry group
2.33
- Max
- 4.35
- XPO
- 2.33
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
United Airlines (UAL) at 2.06 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while XPO (XPO) at 10.45 prices above its benchmark range — XPO looks rich relative to book.
UAL
Transportation industry group
2.06
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- UAL
- 2.06
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
XPO
Transportation industry group
10.45
- XPO
- 10.45
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | UAL | XPO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 10.32 | 41.64 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.56 | 2.33 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.06 | 10.45 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -1.57% | 2.71% |