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China Eastern AirlinesCHEAF 57 Debt-to-EBITDA is 21.22 as of Mar. 2026, which is 247% above its 10-year median of 6.12. GuruFocus rates CHEAF with a GF Score™ of 57/100 and a GF Value™ of $0.51 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 869 Transportation companies, China Eastern Airlines ranks worse than 97.7% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for China Eastern Airlines's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
CHEAF'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -17.09 Med: 6.12 Max: 26.16
Current: 26.16
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of China Eastern Airlines was 26.16. The lowest was -17.09. And the median was 6.12.
CHEAF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 97.7% of 869
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 2.64
vs CHEAF: 26.16
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
China Eastern Airlines Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
China Eastern Airlines Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for China Eastern Airlines's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Airlines subindustry, China Eastern Airlines's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
China Eastern Airlines Debt-to-EBITDA vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, China Eastern Airlines's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where China Eastern Airlines's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
China Eastern Airlines (CHEAF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 21.22 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on China Eastern Airlines. This is 247% above median its historical median of 6.12. According to the industry distribution chart, China Eastern Airlines ranks #849 out of 869 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 97.7%.
Is China Eastern Airlines' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
China Eastern Airlines' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 21.22 is 247% above median its 10-year median of 6.12. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64. China Eastern Airlines' value of 21.22 is 703.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, China Eastern Airlines ranks #849 out of 869 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, China Eastern Airlines has a GF Score™ of 57/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does China Eastern Airlines' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to DAL and UAL?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, China Eastern Airlines ranks #849 out of 869 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places China Eastern Airlines in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64. China Eastern Airlines' value of 21.22 is 703.8% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 6.12 vs. the industry median of 2.64, China Eastern Airlines has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Transportation company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Transportation companies is 2.64, based on 869 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. China Eastern Airlines's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 21.22 is 703.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on China Eastern Airlines. For the Transportation industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. China Eastern Airlines's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 21.22, which is 247% above median its own 10-year median of 6.12. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is China Eastern Airlines stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Eastern Airlines (CHEAF) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.51, compared to a current price of $0.40 — trading 21.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 21.22, which is 247% above median its 10-year median of 6.12 and 703.8% above the Transportation industry median of 2.64. China Eastern Airlines' overall GF Score™ is 57/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For China Eastern Airlines (CHEAF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 21.22 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is China Eastern Airlines (CHEAF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Eastern Airlines stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $0.40 is trading 21.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $0.51.
GuruFocus considers China Eastern Airlines to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for CHEAF:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 21.22 (247% above median its 10-year median of 6.12)
GF Value™: $0.51 vs. price of $0.40 (21.9% below fair value)
Industry Position: 703.8% above the Transportation median (#849 of 869)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CHEAF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd principally engaged in the operation of civil aviation, including the provision of passenger, cargo, mail delivery and other extended transportation services, also manufacturing and maintenance of aircraft and aviation equipment, agency services, import and export business, tourism and hotel business; and other businesses related to air transportation. The Group has two reportable segments. Airline transportation operations mainly comprise the provision of passenger, cargo, mail delivery, and ground services. Other services, including tour operations, air catering, and other miscellaneous services, are not included within the airline transportation operations segment. Geographically, the company operates Domestic, Regional and International.
57GF Score
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