Alaska Air [ALK] vs United Airlines [UAL] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 19 vital metrics comparison: Alaska Air wins in 6 metrics, United Airlines wins in 13 metrics, with 0 ties. United Airlines appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricAlaska AirUnited AirlinesBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.169.56United Airlines
Price-to-Book Ratio1.442.31Alaska Air
Debt-to-Equity Ratio161.67245.17Alaska Air
PEG Ratio-1.21-0.38Alaska Air
EV/EBITDA6.745.77United Airlines
Profit Margin (TTM)2.33%5.71%United Airlines
Operating Margin (TTM)9.02%11.83%United Airlines
EBITDA Margin (TTM)9.02%11.83%United Airlines
Return on Equity7.66%27.71%United Airlines
Return on Assets (TTM)2.83%4.59%United Airlines
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$183.00M$3.83BUnited Airlines
1-Year Return8.58%57.07%United Airlines
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)0.420.53Alaska Air
Enterprise Value$9.92B$48.03BUnited Airlines
EV/Revenue Ratio0.740.83Alaska Air
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)18.49%31.15%United Airlines
Revenue per Share (TTM)$109$177United Airlines
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$2.44$9.97United Airlines
Beta (Stock Volatility)1.401.46Alaska Air
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

Alaska Air vs United Airlines Stock Performance Analysis

Loading Price Chart...

Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Alaska Air-1.48%-3.93%-23.91%-4.17%10.46%-24.63%
United Airlines1.83%-1.59%-9.93%19.68%65.17%1.72%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Alaska Air8.58%15.85%23.15%-36.09%311.03%554.86%
United Airlines57.07%173.67%184.16%73.43%271.20%183.50%

News Based Sentiment: Alaska Air vs United Airlines

Alaska Air

News based Sentiment: MIXED

October presented a mixed bag for Alaska Air Group. While the company continues to expand internationally and receives some positive analyst coverage, lowered earnings guidance and insider selling create concerns about near-term performance. The overall narrative is one of navigating challenges while pursuing long-term growth, making it a cautiously optimistic investment story.

View Alaska Air News Sentiment Analysis

United Airlines

News based Sentiment: MIXED

October presented a mixed bag for United Airlines, with positive analyst revisions and strategic initiatives offset by operational disruptions and insider selling. While long-term projections remain favorable, near-term challenges require careful monitoring, making this a moderately significant month for investors.

View United Airlines News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Alaska Air vs United Airlines

MetricALKUAL
Market Information
Market Cap i$5.95B$32.44B
Market Cap CategoryMid capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i2,863,8605,299,380
90 Day Avg. Volume i2,893,5875,247,963
Last Close$48.46$97.07
52 Week Range$39.79 - $78.08$52.00 - $116.00
% from 52W High-37.94%-16.32%
All-Time High$101.43 (Feb 27, 2017)$116.00 (Jan 20, 2025)
% from All-Time High-52.22%-16.32%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.28%0.02%
Quarterly Earnings Growth-0.22%-0.27%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.02%0.06%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.09%0.12%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.08%0.28%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i161.67245.17
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$34.20$41.30
Cash per Share (MRQ)$18.42$48.24
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.43B$9.65B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$738.25M$2.32B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield iN/AN/A
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.00$0.00

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Alaska Air vs United Airlines

MetricALKUAL
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i20.169.56
Forward P/E i9.117.89
PEG Ratio i-1.21-0.38
Price to Sales (TTM) i0.420.53
Price to Book (MRQ) i1.442.31
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$5.95B$32.44B
Enterprise Value i$9.92B$48.03B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i0.740.83
Enterprise to EBITDA i6.745.77
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.401.46
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$34.20$41.30

Financial Statements Comparison: Alaska Air vs United Airlines

Financial Metrics

Loading Financial Charts...

Revenue

EBITDA

Shareholders Equity

Operating Margin

Free Cash Flow

Long Term Debt

Profit Margin

Current Ratio

Operating Cash Flow

Income Statement (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)ALKUAL
Revenue/Sales i$3.14B$15.24B
Cost of Goods Sold i$2.88B$10.49B
Gross Profit i$255.00M$4.75B
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i$-106.00M$1.77B
EBITDA i$106.00M$1.98B
Pre-Tax Income i$-233.00M$1.25B
Income Tax i$-67.00M$275.00M
Net Income (Profit) i$-166.00M$973.00M

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)ALKUAL
Cash & Equivalents i$1.04B$9.37B
Total Current Assets i$3.72B$20.15B
Total Current Liabilities i$6.70B$25.80B
Long-Term Debt i$5.54B$29.15B
Total Shareholders Equity i$4.14B$12.62B
Retained Earnings i$4.76B$7.14B
Property, Plant & Equipment i$3.51B$47.52B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)ALKUAL
Operating Cash Flow i$459.00MN/A
Capital Expenditures i$-238.00M$29.00M
Free Cash Flow i$221.00M$2.48B
Debt Repayment i$-156.00M$-1.01B
Common Stock Repurchase i$-105.00M$-349.00M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricALKUAL
Shares Short i6.64M14.83M
Short Ratio i2.643.08
Short % of Float i0.08%0.05%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i2,863,8605,299,380
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i2,893,5875,247,963
Shares Outstanding i123.12M327.90M
Float Shares i114.72M320.97M
% Held by Insiders i0.01%0.01%
% Held by Institutions i0.92%0.88%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Alaska Air vs United Airlines

MetricALKUAL
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.00$0.00
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield iN/AN/A
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$0.00$0.00
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield iN/AN/A
3-Year Total Dividends i$0.00$0.00
Ex-Dividend DateN/AN/A