Buyback yield (TTM)
1.05%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
1.05%
5Y share count change
17.0%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$315.00M
Cumulative buybacks
$15.22B
Key takeaways
- United Airlines Holdings (UAL) repurchased about $315.00M of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is up 17.0% over the last ~5 fiscal years — equity issuance and stock-based compensation are outpacing repurchases.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +12.5% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 10% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for United Airlines Holdings (UAL)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for United Airlines Holdings (UAL)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for United Airlines Holdings (UAL)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for United Airlines Holdings (UAL)
Latest: $637.00M
Overview
2025's annual buyback spend for United Airlines Holdings (UAL) came in at $637.00M – surged 293.2% year-over-year.
Looking at the 2020–2025 (5 years) stretch, United Airlines Holdings buyback spend compounded at +12.5% per year, sustaining 2 straight years of year-over-year growth.
Between 1988 and 2025, United Airlines Holdings buyback spend plunged 77.6%, falling from $2.84B to $637.00M.
The record annual buyback spend stands at $2.84B, reached in 1988; the historical low of $0.00 was recorded in 1985.
United Airlines Holdings Buyback Spend 2025: $637.00M
In 2025, United Airlines Holdings reported buyback spend of $637.00M, surged 293.2% from 2024.
United Airlines Holdings Buyback Spend 2024: $162.00M
United Airlines Holdings buyback spend in 2024 was $162.00M.
United Airlines Holdings Buyback Spend 2023: $0.00
United Airlines Holdings buyback spend in 2023 was $0.00.
United Airlines Holdings Buyback Spend 2022: $0.00
United Airlines Holdings buyback spend in 2022 was $0.00.
United Airlines Holdings Buyback Spend 2021: $0.00
United Airlines Holdings buyback spend in 2021 was $0.00.
See more financial history for United Airlines Holdings (UAL).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $637.00M | $0.00 | $637.00M | 1.74% | 0.33B | -1.9% | |
| 2024 | $162.00M | $0.00 | $162.00M | 0.51% | 0.33B | +0.4% | |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.33B | +0.5% | |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.33B | +2.5% | |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.32B | +15.2% | |
| 2020 | $353.00M | $0.00 | $353.00M | 2.62% | 0.28B | +7.5% | |
| 2019 | $1.65B | $0.00 | $1.65B | 7.37% | 0.26B | -6.1% | |
| 2018 | $1.24B | $0.00 | $1.24B | 5.41% | 0.28B | -8.9% | |
| 2017 | $1.84B | $73.00M | $1.77B | 9.38% | 0.30B | -8.1% | |
| 2016 | $2.61B | $0.00 | $2.61B | 11.35% | 0.33B | -12.4% | |
| 2015 | $1.23B | $58.00M | $1.18B | 5.86% | 0.38B | -3.3% | |
| 2014 | $312.00M | $0.00 | $312.00M | 1.24% | 0.39B | 0.0% | |
| 2013 | $3.00M | $11.00M | −$8.00M | 0.02% | 0.39B | +17.8% | |
| 2012 | $4.00M | $14.00M | −$10.00M | 0.05% | 0.33B | -13.6% | |
| 2011 | $0.00 | $17.00M | −$17.00M | — | 0.38B | +51.4% | |
| 2010 | $3.00M | $14.00M | −$11.00M | 0.04% | 0.25B | +67.9% | |
| 2009 | $2.00M | $21.00M | −$19.00M | 0.09% | 0.15B | +18.8% | |
| 2008 | $11.00M | $31.00M | −$20.00M | 0.69% | 0.13B | -17.5% | |
| 2007 | $11.00M | $49.00M | −$38.00M | 0.28% | 0.15B | +32.3% | |
| 2006 | $4.00M | $0.00 | $4.00M | 0.08% | 0.12B | +0.0% | |
| 2005 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.12B | +2.4% | |
| 2004 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.11B | +10.6% | |
| 2003 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.10B | -6.3% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.11B | 0.0% | |
| 2001 | $81.00M | $0.00 | $81.00M | 4.81% | 0.11B | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | $81.00M | $0.00 | $81.00M | — | 0.11B | 0.0% | |
| 1999 | $261.00M | $0.00 | $261.00M | — | 0.11B | +3.9% | |
| 1998 | $462.00M | $0.00 | $462.00M | — | 0.11B | 0.0% | |
| 1997 | $250.00M | $0.00 | $250.00M | — | 0.11B | 0.0% | |
| 1996 | $84.00M | $0.00 | $84.00M | — | 0.11B | — | |
| 1995 | $131.00M | $0.00 | $131.00M | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $247.20M | $0.00 | $247.20M | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1988 | $2.84B | $0.00 | $2.84B | — | — | — | |
| 1987 | $181.70M | $0.00 | $181.70M | — | — | — | |
| 1986 | $526.50M | $0.00 | $526.50M | — | — | — |
- 2025$637.00M
- 2024$162.00M
- 2023$0.00
- 2022$0.00
- 2021$0.00
- 2020$353.00M
- 2019$1.65B
- 2018$1.24B
- 2017$1.84B
- 2016$2.61B
- 2015$1.23B
- 2014$312.00M
- 2013$3.00M
- 2012$4.00M
- 2011$0.00
- 2010$3.00M
- 2009$2.00M
- 2008$11.00M
- 2007$11.00M
- 2006$4.00M
- 2005$0.00
- 2004$0.00
- 2003$0.00
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$81.00M
- 2000$81.00M
- 1999$261.00M
- 1998$462.00M
- 1997$250.00M
- 1996$84.00M
- 1995$131.00M
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$247.20M
- 1990$0.00
- 1989$0.00
- 1988$2.84B
- 1987$181.70M
- 1986$526.50M
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for United Airlines Holdings (UAL)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: N/A.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for United Airlines Holdings (UAL)
How United Airlines Holdings splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as United Airlines Holdings, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $7.55B | |
| $5.19B | |
| $2.68B | |
| $1.86B | |
| $1.14B | |
| $1.13B | |
| $50.00M | |
| $0.00 |
- $7.55B
- $5.19B
- $2.68B
- $1.86B
- $1.14B
- $1.13B
- $50.00M
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $3.21B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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