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 United Airlines Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:UAL'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -6.13 Med: 3.67 Max: 26.16
Current: 5.31
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of United Airlines Holdings was 26.16. The lowest was -6.13. And the median was 3.67.
XSWX:UAL's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 76.33% of 866
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 2.64
vs XSWX:UAL: 5.31
United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
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.
United Airlines Holdings Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
United Airlines Holdings Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* 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.
XSWX:UAL vs DAL, LUV, AAL: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Airlines subindustry, United Airlines Holdings'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.
United Airlines Holdings Debt-to-EBITDA vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, United Airlines Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where United Airlines Holdings'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.
United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 6.77 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 United Airlines Holdings. This is 84% above median its historical median of 3.67. According to the industry distribution chart, United Airlines Holdings ranks #661 out of 866 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 76.3%.
Is United Airlines Holdings' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
United Airlines Holdings' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 6.77 is 84% above median its 10-year median of 3.67. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64. United Airlines Holdings' value of 6.77 is 156.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, United Airlines Holdings ranks #661 out of 866 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, United Airlines Holdings has a GF Score™ of 79/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does United Airlines Holdings' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to DAL and LUV?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, United Airlines Holdings ranks #661 out of 866 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places United Airlines Holdings in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64. United Airlines Holdings' value of 6.77 is 156.4% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 3.67 vs. the industry median of 2.64, United Airlines Holdings 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 866 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. United Airlines Holdings's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 6.77 is 156.4% 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 United Airlines Holdings. 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. United Airlines Holdings's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 6.77, which is 84% above median its own 10-year median of 3.67. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is United Airlines Holdings stock overvalued right now?
United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL) has a current Debt-to-EBITDA of 6.77. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF64.28, compared to a current price of CHF108.18 — trading 68.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 6.77, which is 84% above median its 10-year median of 3.67 and 156.4% above the Transportation industry median of 2.64. United Airlines Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 79/100 with 8 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 United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 6.77 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 United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, United Airlines Holdings stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF108.18 is trading 68.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF64.28.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:UAL:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 6.77 (84% above median its 10-year median of 3.67)
GF Value™: CHF64.28 vs. price of CHF108.18 (68.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 156.4% above the Transportation median (#661 of 866)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:UAL stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Chicago-based United Airlines is a major US network carrier with hubs in San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, Newark, and Washington, D.C. United operates a hub-and-spoke system that is more focused on international and long-haul travel, especially across the Pacific, than its large US peers.
79GF Score
Get the complete analysis for XSWX:UAL
Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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