Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (ODFL) vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL)

UAL leads on 11 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare

Total return — ODFL vs UAL

growth of $100 · last 20y
ODFL +5585.2%UAL +280.0%ODFL compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10kStart $10020102014201820222026$5,685$380
ODFL UAL

ODFL vs UAL: by the numbers

  • ODFL is the larger company ($49.07B vs $38.94B market cap).
  • UAL trades at the lower earnings multiple (10.71 vs 51.41 P/E).
  • ODFL converts more revenue to profit (18.46% vs 6.06% net margin).
  • UAL grew revenue faster over the past five years (41.67% vs 5.60% CAGR).
  • ODFL pays a dividend (0.46% yield) while UAL does not currently pay one.

Which is better, ODFL or UAL?

Metric tally: ODFL 4 · UAL 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueUAL(lower P/E)
GrowthUAL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityODFL(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricODFLUAL
P/E ratio51.4110.71
Forward P/E38.808.32
P/S ratio9.430.65
P/B ratio11.692.47
PEG ratio4.621.66
EV / EBITDA29.997.17
FCF yield1.98%8.18%

Profitability

MetricODFLUAL
Gross margin30.91%64.24%
Operating margin24.57%8.44%
Net margin18.46%6.06%
ROE22.89%23.09%
ROIC19.91%6.63%

Dividends

MetricODFLUAL
Dividend yield0.46%
Payout ratio23.51%

Growth (annualized)

MetricODFLUAL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)5.60%41.67%
EPS CAGR (5Y)11.14%-2.15%
FCF CAGR (5Y)4.53%61.78%
Total return CAGR (5Y)13.81%16.76%

Frequently asked

Which is better, ODFL or UAL?
It depends on your goal. value: UAL (lower P/E); growth: UAL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: ODFL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, UAL leads 11 to 4.
Is ODFL or UAL cheaper?
On trailing earnings, UAL is cheaper: ODFL trades at a 51.41 P/E and UAL at 10.71.
Which has grown faster, ODFL or UAL?
Over the past five years, UAL grew revenue faster — ODFL at a 5.60% CAGR versus UAL at 41.67%.
Does ODFL or UAL pay a bigger dividend?
ODFL pays a dividend (0.46% yield) while UAL does not currently pay one.
Is ODFL or UAL more profitable?
ODFL runs the higher net margin — ODFL at 18.46% versus UAL at 6.06%.
Which has been the better investment, ODFL or UAL?
Over the past 10-year, ODFL delivered the higher annualized total return — ODFL at 28.88% versus UAL at 10.84%. 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 June 15, 2026.