Marathon Petroleum Corp vs United Airlines Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Marathon Petroleum Corp trades at $336.57 (market cap $89.95B), while United Airlines Holdings Inc trades at $126.31 (market cap $40.17B). The key difference: Marathon Petroleum Corp is far larger — about 2.2× United Airlines Holdings Inc's market cap, and Marathon Petroleum Corp pays a 1.25% dividend while United Airlines Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MPC | UAL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $89.95B | $40.17B |
Sector | Energy | Industrials |
52-Week High | $320.32 | $136.11 |
52-Week Low | $158.59 | $85.21 |
Enterprise Value | $116.48B | $57.20B |
Dividend Yield | 1.25% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Marathon Petroleum (MPC) trades at $298.20, down 0.35% with a bearish technical signal despite strong fundamental performance. The stock shows exceptional earnings momentum with three consecutive quarterly beats, including a massive Q2 2026 EPS of $17.73 versus $14.27 expected. Valuation remains attractive with P/E of 10.34 and EV/EBITDA of 6.26, while maintaining robust profitability with 47.9% ROE.
MPC presents a compelling investment case with strong analyst support (76% buy ratings) and $330.70 price target upside. However, declining revenue trends from $177.5B in 2022 to $132.7B in 2025 and rising debt-to-asset ratio to 42.59% pose fundamental concerns. Technical weakness near pivot point resistance at $297 requires monitoring despite positive refining margin outlook.
United Airlines (UAL) trades at $129.56, up 0.34% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The stock shows robust fundamentals with revenue growth to $59.07B in 2025 and a net income margin of 5.56%, while valuation metrics like a P/E of 12.13 suggest potential undervaluation. Recent news highlights fleet innovation focus after merger attempts failed, with analyst consensus strongly bullish.
The outlook for UAL is positive, driven by sustained travel demand and cost management, but risks include fuel price volatility and competitive pressures. With 66% of analysts rating it Buy and a consensus price target of $167.73, the stock offers upside, though investors must monitor execution on fuel cost recapture and economic sensitivity.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Marathon Petroleum is an independent refiner with 13 refineries in the midcontinent, West Coast, and Gulf Coast of the United States with total throughput capacity of 2.9 million barrels per day. Its Dickinson, ND, facility produces 184 million gallons a year of renewable diesel. Its Martinez, CA, facility will have the ability to produce 730 million gallons a year of renewable diesel once converted. The firm also owns and operates midstream assets primarily through its listed MLP, MPLX.
Read more on MPC →United Airlines is a major U.S. network carrier. United's hubs include San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, and Washington, D.C. United operates a hub-and-spoke system that is more focused on international travel than legacy peers.
Read more on UAL →