Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) vs United Rentals, Inc. (URI)

DAL leads on 10 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Delta Air Lines, Inc. and United Rentals, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 21, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare

Total returnDAL vs URI

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 19y
DAL +332.6%URI +3130.0%URI compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10kStart $1002011201520192023$433$3,230
DAL URI

DAL vs URI: by the numbers

  • URI is the larger company ($63.49B vs $55.65B market cap).
  • DAL trades at the lower earnings multiple (14.02 vs 25.93 P/E).
  • URI converts more revenue to profit (15.32% vs 5.79% net margin).
  • DAL grew revenue faster over the past five years (30.12% vs 14.10% CAGR).
  • DAL pays the higher dividend yield (0.89% vs 0.74%).

Which is better, DAL or URI?

Metric tally: DAL 10 · URI 7

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueDAL(lower P/E)
GrowthDAL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeDAL(higher dividend yield)
QualityURI(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricDALURI
P/E ratio14.0225.93
Forward P/E12.6321.48
P/S ratio0.813.94
P/B ratio2.557.18
PEG ratio0.211.00
EV / EBITDA8.1912.18
FCF yield10.93%1.03%

Profitability

MetricDALURI
Gross margin27.32%36.25%
Operating margin8.08%24.67%
Net margin5.79%15.32%
ROE18.11%27.95%
ROIC8.30%10.75%

Dividends

MetricDALURI
Dividend yield0.89%0.74%
Payout ratio9.72%19.43%

Growth (annualized)

MetricDALURI
Revenue CAGR (5Y)30.12%14.10%
EPS CAGR (5Y)0.89%25.88%
FCF CAGR (5Y)124.85%-15.74%
Total return CAGR (5Y)16.05%26.55%

Frequently asked

Which is better, DAL or URI?
It depends on your goal. value: DAL (lower P/E); growth: DAL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: DAL (higher dividend yield); quality: URI (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DAL leads 10 to 7.
Is DAL or URI cheaper?
On trailing earnings, DAL is cheaper: DAL trades at a 14.02 P/E and URI at 25.93.
Which has grown faster, DAL or URI?
Over the past five years, DAL grew revenue faster — DAL at a 30.12% CAGR versus URI at 14.10%.
Does DAL or URI pay a bigger dividend?
DAL yields 0.89% and URI yields 0.74% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is DAL or URI more profitable?
URI runs the higher net margin — DAL at 5.79% versus URI at 15.32%.
Which has been the better investment, DAL or URI?
Over the past 10-year, URI delivered the higher annualized total return — DAL at 9.54% versus URI at 29.98%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified July 21, 2026.