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International Consolidated Airlines Group vs United Airlines Holdings: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

International Consolidated Airlines holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and stability adding further support. United Airlines does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

Most of the separation is still concentrated in profitability. International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. leads by 18 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Airlines

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. IAG.L and UAL share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how IAG.L and United Airlines each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
IAG.L
International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A.
63
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
UAL
United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
45
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: IAG.L vs UAL Profitability 73 21 Stability 28 12 Valuation 88 88 Growth 45 50 IAG.L UAL
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +52
#2 Stability +16
#3 Growth +5
#4 Valuation
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for IAG.L and UAL Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer IAG.LUAL Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. ranks near the top of the group; United Airlines Holdings, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Stability
Neither side looks especially strong on stability, though International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. still ranks somewhat higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
IAG.L
73
UAL
21
Gap+52in favour of IAG.L

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 19-point ROIC advantage.

What else supports the lead

Stability also supports the lead, so the result is broader than one isolated gap.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and stability also supports International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A.'s broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the IAG.L vs UAL comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how IAG.L and UAL each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.