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).
ODFL
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
$245.75Industrials
UAL
United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
$119.97Industrials
Total return — ODFL vs UAL
growth of $100 · last 20yODFL +5585.2%UAL +280.0%ODFL compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
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 11It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueUAL(lower P/E)
GrowthUAL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityODFL(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | ODFL | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 51.41 | 10.71● |
| Forward P/E | 38.80 | 8.32● |
| P/S ratio | 9.43 | 0.65● |
| P/B ratio | 11.69 | 2.47● |
| PEG ratio | 4.62 | 1.66● |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.99 | 7.17● |
| FCF yield | 1.98% | 8.18%● |
Profitability
| Metric | ODFL | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 30.91% | 64.24%● |
| Operating margin | 24.57%● | 8.44% |
| Net margin | 18.46%● | 6.06% |
| ROE | 22.89% | 23.09% |
| ROIC | 19.91%● | 6.63% |
Dividends
| Metric | ODFL | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.46% | — |
| Payout ratio | 23.51% | — |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | ODFL | UAL |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Old Dominion Freight Line P/E ratioUnited Airlines P/E ratioOld Dominion Freight Line dividend yieldUnited Airlines dividend yieldOld Dominion Freight Line ROEUnited Airlines ROEOld Dominion Freight Line operating marginUnited Airlines operating marginOld Dominion Freight Line revenue growthUnited Airlines revenue growthOld Dominion Freight Line free cash flowUnited Airlines free cash flow
Old Dominion Freight Line & United Airlines appear in these rankings
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.