Bank of America vs United Airlines: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Bank of America reported $113.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $30.5B of net income. United Airlines reported $59.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Bank of America
- Latest revenue
- $113.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $30.5B
- Net margin
- 27.0%
- Revenue growth
- +3.4% a year, FY2016–FY2025
United Airlines
- Latest revenue
- $59.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $3.4B
- Net margin
- 5.7%
- Revenue growth
- +5.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
Bank of America
Bank of America earns in two streams. Net interest income was $60.1B in 2025 and noninterest income $53.0B, for total revenue net of interest expense of $113.1B and net income of $30.5B, or $3.81 per diluted share. Deposits of $2.02T funded $1.19T of loans and leases plus a $927.4B debt securities portfolio. Fees carried the year: investment and brokerage services rose $2.2B to $20.0B, investment banking fees rose to $6.6B, and market making fell $953M to $12.0B. Credit stayed contained, with the total consumer net charge-off ratio at 0.88 percent and the card ratio at 3.68 percent. The efficiency ratio improved to 61.65 percent from 63.12 percent, and common equity tier 1 capital was $201.4B, an 11.4 percent standardized ratio against a 10.0 percent minimum.
United Airlines
United's revenue grew from $43.3 billion in 2019 to a record $59.1 billion in 2025, and net income reached $3.4 billion in 2025 against $3.1 billion in 2024. Operating cash flow was $8.4 billion in 2025. In 2026 the story is fuel: after oil prices spiked in March, United cut full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $7-$11, then raised it to $9-$11 in July after Q2 revenue rose 16% to $17.7 billion and yields climbed 12%. Q2 fuel expense was up $2.3 billion (84%), and the company said it expected to recover all of the increase through fares by Q4. Management is targeting an investment-grade credit rating in 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
Bank of America
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $113.1B | $30.5B | 27.0% | +6.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | $105.9B | $27B | 25.5% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $102.8B | $26.3B | 25.6% | +8.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | $95B | $27.5B | 29.0% | +6.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $89.1B | $32B | 35.9% | +4.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | $85.5B | $17.9B | 20.9% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $91.2B | $27.4B | 30.1% | +0.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $91B | $28.1B | 30.9% | +4.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $87.1B | $18.2B | 20.9% | +4.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $83.7B | $17.8B | 21.3% | — | Source |
United Airlines
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $59.1B | $3.4B | 5.7% | +3.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | $57.1B | $3.1B | 5.5% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | $53.7B | $2.6B | 4.9% | +19.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $45B | $737M | 1.6% | +82.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $24.6B | -$2B | -8.0% | +60.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $15.4B | -$7.1B | -46.0% | -64.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $43.3B | $3B | 7.0% | +4.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $41.3B | $2.1B | 5.1% | +9.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $37.7B | $2.1B | 5.7% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2016 | $36.6B | $2.2B | 6.1% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Bank of America
- Net interest income~53%
Interest on loans and securities less interest paid on deposits and debt; $60.1B in 2025.
- Investment and brokerage services~18%
Asset management, brokerage and advisory fees, mostly from Merrill and the Private Bank; $20.0B in 2025.
- Market making and similar activities~11%
Global Markets trading revenue across rates, credit, currencies, commodities and equities; $12.0B in 2025.
- Investment banking fees~6%
Underwriting and advisory fees excluding self-led deals; $6.6B in 2025.
- Service charges~6%
Treasury service charges and consumer deposit account fees; $6.5B in 2025.
- Card income~6%
Interchange, annual fees and other credit and debit card income; $6.4B in 2025.
United Airlines
- Passenger tickets
- Premium cabins
- Basic Economy
- MileagePlus and co-brand revenue
- Cargo
- United Club memberships
- Baggage and seat fees
Business model and strategy
Bank of America
How it makes money
The model is a deposit-funded spread business layered with fee income. Consumer Banking gathers low-cost deposits and lends through mortgages, cards and auto loans, producing $43.7B of revenue in 2025 and $12.2B of net income. Global Wealth and Investment Management charges fees on $4.75T of client balances, including $2.18T of assets under management, for $24.9B of revenue.
Growth strategy
Growth comes from deepening existing relationships rather than buying banks. Consumer Banking adds clients through digital channels, with 49 million active digital users and 41 million mobile users at the end of 2025, while the branch network is consolidated slowly, down 72 to 3,628 centers during the year, and rebuilt in selected metropolitan markets.
Competitive advantage
Bank of America's advantage is cheap, sticky funding. It held $2.02T of deposits at December 31, 2025, much of it in transaction accounts, and the total deposit spread was 2.92 percent in 2025 against 2.77 percent in 2024.
United Airlines
How it makes money
United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network. Domestic and regional flights feed passengers into seven U.S. hubs, where they connect to long-haul routes across the Atlantic, Pacific and Latin America. Ticket sales are the core: passenger revenue was $53.4 billion of the $59.1 billion total in 2025.
Growth strategy
United is investing in premium seating, larger aircraft, international routes, operational reliability, MileagePlus, airport clubs, digital service, Starlink connectivity, and network depth at core hubs.
Competitive advantage
United's advantage is its hub network, international route breadth, Star Alliance connectivity, premium-cabin expansion, MileagePlus loyalty base, corporate account strength, and major positions at airports such as Chicago O'Hare, Newark, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, Washington Dulles, and Los Angeles.
Questions about Bank of America vs United Airlines
Which company has higher revenue — Bank of America Corporation or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Bank of America Corporation reported $113.1B (FY2025), while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported $59.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Bank of America Corporation is the larger business, with United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Bank of America Corporation vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Bank of America Corporation's market capitalisation stands at $380.6B, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s is $36.1B. Bank of America Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to United Airlines Holdings, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Bank of America Corporation or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Bank of America Corporation generates $531k / employee in revenue per employee, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generates $522k / employee. Bank of America Corporation shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Bank of America Corporation and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. make money?
Bank of America Corporation and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Bank of America Corporation: The model is a deposit-funded spread business layered with fee income. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.: United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Bank of America Corporation or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Bank of America Corporation trades at 3.4x P/S and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. at 0.6x P/S. Bank of America Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Bank of America Corporation bigger than United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Bank of America Corporation ($113.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc. ($59.1B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Bank of America vs United Airlines overview