Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits). He defines ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % as EBIT divided by the total of Property, Plant and Equipment and net working capital. United Airlines Holdings's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 8.75%.
The historical rank and industry rank for United Airlines Holdings's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:UAL'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -22.08 Med: 11.76 Max: 19.49
Current: 11.68
During the past 13 years, United Airlines Holdings's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 19.49%. The lowest was -22.08%. And the median was 11.76%.
XSWX:UAL's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked worse than 50.1% of 996
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 11.695
vs XSWX:UAL: 11.68
United Airlines Holdings's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 0.00% per year.
United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL) ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Explanation
The way Joel Greenblatt defines Return on Capital is a more accurate measure of how efficiently the company generates returns onthe capital actually invested in the business. EBIT is used instead of net income because the tax and interest payment may be affected by factors other than the core business operation. Intangible assets are not included in the calculation because they don't need to be replaced.
United Airlines Holdings ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
United Airlines Holdings ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for United Airlines Holdings's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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.
United Airlines Holdings ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Chart
XSWX:UAL vs DAL, LUV, AAL: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Airlines subindustry, United Airlines Holdings's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, United Airlines Holdings's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where United Airlines Holdings's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
United Airlines Holdings ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Calculation
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) . He defines Return on Capital as follows:
EBIT stands for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.
Fixed Assets are also known as non-current assets. They include the Property, Plant and Equipment that the firm needs in its operation.
GuruFocus calculates net working capital as: (Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Deferred Revenue + Other Current Liabilities). We're trying to account for OPERATING assets and liabilities (part of daily business) when calculating working capital. Cash and marketable securities are considered NON-OPERATING assets and are not included in calculation. We will also back out all interest bearing debt, short term debt and the portion of long term debt that is due in the current period from the current liabilities. This debt will be considered when computing cost of capital and it would be inappropriate to count it twice.
Note:
The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT 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.
What does a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 8.75% mean?
United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 8.75% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on United Airlines Holdings and its competitors. This is 26% below median its historical median of 11.76. According to the industry distribution chart, United Airlines Holdings ranks #499 out of 996 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 50.1%.
Is United Airlines Holdings' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
United Airlines Holdings' current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 8.75% is 26% below median its 10-year median of 11.76. The Transportation industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.70. United Airlines Holdings' value of 8.75% is 25.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, United Airlines Holdings ranks #499 out of 996 companies in the Transportation industry, which is below the industry midpoint. 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' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to DAL and LUV?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, United Airlines Holdings ranks #499 out of 996 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places United Airlines Holdings in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.70. United Airlines Holdings' value of 8.75% is 25.2% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 11.76 vs. the industry median of 11.70, United Airlines Holdings has consistently been below 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Transportation company?
The median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % among Transportation companies is 11.70, based on 996 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. United Airlines Holdings's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 8.75% is 25.2% below 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on United Airlines Holdings and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.70 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. United Airlines Holdings's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 8.75%, which is 26% below median its own 10-year median of 11.76. 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 8.75%. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF63.37, compared to a current price of CHF110.06 — trading 73.7% above its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 8.75%, which is 26% below median its 10-year median of 11.76 and 25.2% below the Transportation industry median of 11.70. 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For United Airlines Holdings (XSWX:UAL), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 8.75% 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 CHF110.06 is trading 73.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF63.37.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:UAL:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: 8.75% (26% below median its 10-year median of 11.76)
GF Value™: CHF63.37 vs. price of CHF110.06 (73.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 25.2% below the Transportation median (#499 of 996)
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
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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