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Side-by-side financial comparison of HCA Healthcare (HCA) and United Airlines Holdings (UAL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

HCA Healthcare is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($19.1B vs $14.6B, roughly 1.3× United Airlines Holdings). HCA Healthcare runs the higher net margin — 9.7% vs 4.8%, a 4.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, United Airlines Holdings posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.6% vs 4.3%). Over the past eight quarters, HCA Healthcare's revenue compounded faster (4.5% CAGR vs -1.3%).

HCA Healthcare, Inc. is an American global for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owned and operated 186 hospitals and approximately 2,400 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics in 20 states and the United Kingdom.

United Airlines, Inc. is a major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and to destinations on six continents. Regional service is provided by independent carriers operating under the United Express brand, and the Star Alliance, of which United was one of the five founding airlines, extends its network throughout the world.

HCA vs UAL — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
HCA
HCA
1.3× larger
HCA
$19.1B
$14.6B
UAL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
UAL
UAL
+6.3% gap
UAL
10.6%
4.3%
HCA
Higher net margin
HCA
HCA
4.9% more per $
HCA
9.7%
4.8%
UAL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
HCA
HCA
Annualised
HCA
4.5%
-1.3%
UAL

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Revenue
$19.1B
$14.6B
Net Profit
$1.9B
$699.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
6.8%
Net Margin
9.7%
4.8%
Revenue YoY
4.3%
10.6%
Net Profit YoY
1.8%
80.6%
EPS (diluted)
$7.15
$2.14

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$19.1B
$14.6B
Q4 25
$19.5B
$15.4B
Q3 25
$19.2B
$15.2B
Q2 25
$18.6B
$15.2B
Q1 25
$18.3B
$13.2B
Q4 24
$18.3B
$14.7B
Q3 24
$17.5B
$14.8B
Q2 24
$17.5B
$15.0B
Net Profit
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$1.9B
$699.0M
Q4 25
$1.9B
$1.0B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$949.0M
Q2 25
$1.7B
$973.0M
Q1 25
$1.6B
$387.0M
Q4 24
$1.4B
$985.0M
Q3 24
$1.3B
$965.0M
Q2 24
$1.5B
$1.3B
Operating Margin
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
6.8%
Q4 25
13.7%
9.0%
Q3 25
12.6%
9.2%
Q2 25
13.0%
8.7%
Q1 25
12.7%
4.6%
Q4 24
11.7%
10.2%
Q3 24
10.9%
10.5%
Q2 24
12.8%
12.9%
Net Margin
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
9.7%
4.8%
Q4 25
9.6%
6.8%
Q3 25
8.6%
6.2%
Q2 25
8.9%
6.4%
Q1 25
8.8%
2.9%
Q4 24
7.9%
6.7%
Q3 24
7.3%
6.5%
Q2 24
8.4%
8.8%
EPS (diluted)
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$7.15
$2.14
Q4 25
$8.09
$3.17
Q3 25
$6.96
$2.90
Q2 25
$6.83
$2.97
Q1 25
$6.45
$1.16
Q4 24
$5.66
$2.97
Q3 24
$4.88
$2.90
Q2 24
$5.53
$3.96

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$940.0M
$14.2B
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$15.9B
Total Assets
$19.3B
$80.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$940.0M
$14.2B
Q4 25
$1.0B
$12.2B
Q3 25
$997.0M
$13.3B
Q2 25
$939.0M
$15.6B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$15.3B
Q4 24
$1.9B
$14.5B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$14.2B
Q2 24
$831.0M
$15.2B
Total Debt
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
Q4 25
$44.3B
$20.6B
Q3 25
$42.6B
$20.8B
Q2 25
$42.7B
$20.9B
Q1 25
$44.6B
$24.4B
Q4 24
$43.0B
$25.2B
Q3 24
$43.0B
Q2 24
$40.9B
Stockholders' Equity
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$15.9B
Q4 25
$-6.0B
$15.3B
Q3 25
$-5.3B
$14.3B
Q2 25
$-4.4B
$13.4B
Q1 25
$-3.5B
$12.6B
Q4 24
$-2.5B
$12.7B
Q3 24
$-2.2B
$11.4B
Q2 24
$-1.6B
$10.5B
Total Assets
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$19.3B
$80.9B
Q4 25
$60.7B
$76.4B
Q3 25
$59.7B
$76.3B
Q2 25
$59.5B
$77.2B
Q1 25
$59.8B
$76.1B
Q4 24
$59.5B
$74.1B
Q3 24
$59.5B
$72.6B
Q2 24
$57.4B
$73.3B
Debt / Equity
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.35×
Q3 25
1.45×
Q2 25
1.56×
Q1 25
1.93×
Q4 24
1.99×
Q3 24
Q2 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$2.0B
$4.8B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$2.0B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
13.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
13.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.08×
6.87×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.1B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$2.0B
$4.8B
Q4 25
$2.4B
$1.3B
Q3 25
$4.4B
$1.2B
Q2 25
$4.2B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$1.7B
$3.7B
Q4 24
$2.6B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$3.5B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$2.0B
$2.9B
Free Cash Flow
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
$2.0B
Q4 25
$870.0M
$-604.0M
Q3 25
$3.1B
$-246.0M
Q2 25
$3.0B
$930.0M
Q1 25
$660.0M
$2.5B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$549.0M
Q3 24
$2.3B
$88.0M
Q2 24
$690.0M
$1.7B
FCF Margin
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
13.9%
Q4 25
4.5%
-3.9%
Q3 25
16.3%
-1.6%
Q2 25
16.3%
6.1%
Q1 25
3.6%
18.7%
Q4 24
7.0%
3.7%
Q3 24
13.3%
0.6%
Q2 24
3.9%
11.4%
Capex Intensity
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
13.9%
Q4 25
7.6%
12.3%
Q3 25
6.7%
9.6%
Q2 25
6.3%
8.4%
Q1 25
5.4%
9.3%
Q4 24
7.0%
11.4%
Q3 24
6.8%
9.5%
Q2 24
7.3%
7.8%
Cash Conversion
HCA
HCA
UAL
UAL
Q1 26
1.08×
6.87×
Q4 25
1.26×
1.23×
Q3 25
2.69×
1.28×
Q2 25
2.55×
2.28×
Q1 25
1.03×
9.59×
Q4 24
1.78×
2.26×
Q3 24
2.77×
1.55×
Q2 24
1.35×
2.17×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HCA
HCA

Segment breakdown not available.

UAL
UAL

Passenger revenue$13.2B90%
Other$1.0B7%
Cargo revenue$422.0M3%

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