AAL vs BAC Stock Comparison
BAC currently leads AAL in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 46 vs 45. The clearest difference is risk resilience, while AAL has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between AAL and BAC?
BAC leads the current stock comparison as Bank of America Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from risk resilience and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
American Airlines Group Inc. vs Bank of America Corporation
BAC leads
BAC leads by 1 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience, having only recently taken the lead back from AAL. Wall Street currently favors AAL on target upside.
Fragile: 2 of 6 evidence groups support BAC, the lead recently changed hands, and its current signal state is conflicted.
American Airlines Group Inc.
Bank of America Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors BAC over AAL, 46 versus 45 as of Oct 21, 2026. BAC's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience, while AAL holds the stronger value profile. BAC also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors AAL. 2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor BAC today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. BAC lead: Reversed — AAL led by 12 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; BAC now leads by 1.
Compare American Airlines Group Inc. and Bank of America Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare AAL and BAC against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Risk Resilience34 vs 58BAC +24
- Value62 vs 57AAL +5
- Momentum26 vs 24Even
- Quality48 vs 49Even
2 of 6 evidence groups favor BAC. BAC’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience; AAL keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience -2, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience +1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
BAC's lead was unchanged in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AAL and BAC both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
BAC (Bank of America Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by risk resilience.
AAL (American Airlines Group Inc.): the counter-case, on value, valuation, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 38.3% against 21.8%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
BACBAC on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
AALAAL on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
AALAAL on the peer-relative Value factor, by 5 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
BACBAC on Risk Resilience, by 24 points.
Analyst upside
AALAAL on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors BAC, analyst targets favor AAL. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | AAL | BAC | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +42.4% | +30.5% | AAL has more room |
| Target dispersion | +80.4% | +22.6% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 12 | 11 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor BAC. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 45 vs 46 |
| Fundamentals | BACon balance | revenue growth 20.3% vs -3.3%; EPS growth 119% vs -23.8%; TTM ROE 8.3% vs 10.7%; gross margin 21% vs 60.4%; operating margin 1.7% vs 22.4% — BAC takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | AAL | Value 62 vs 57 |
| Technicals | AAL | Price vs 50-day -7.8% vs -13.2%; vs 200-day -11.3% vs -8.1% |
| Risk Resilience | BAC | Risk Resilience 34 vs 58 |
| Analyst expectations | AAL | Target upside 42.4% vs 30.5% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AAL and BAC and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on BAC.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20BAC lead: Reversed — AAL led by 12 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; BAC now leads by 1.
- Today
- BAC +1
- 45 vs 46
- 7 sessions ago
- AAL +4
- 45 vs 41
- 30 sessions ago
- AAL +12
- 52 vs 40
- 90 sessions ago
- BAC +7
- 47 vs 54
The lead changed hands 3 times in this window, most recently on Oct 17 when BAC moved ahead of AAL.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
0 bullish / 4 bearish / 2 neutral
Only AAL
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (2.88%)
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.20%)
- Beta Spike Warning — bearish, risk, long horizon
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only BAC
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (6.14%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, MACD Bearish Crossover.
BAC leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.03%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.28%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1AAL closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to BAC's edge.
- 2AAL's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3BAC's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
BAC leads on balance| Metric | AAL | BAC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 20.3% | -3.3% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 119% | -23.8% |
| Gross margin | 21% | 60.4% |
| Operating margin | 1.7% | 22.4% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 8.3% | 10.7% |
| Debt to equity | -9 | 1.28 |
Performance
Split across windows| Metric | AAL | BAC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -3.1% | -6.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -11% | -9.9% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -18.1% | -16.5% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 2.9% | -5.3% |
| Year to date | -21% | -7.9% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 1.9% | 0.4% |
Technicals
AAL has the stronger structure| Metric | AAL | BAC |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 31.7 | 25.5 |
| ADX (14) | 23.5 | 48.6 |
| Price vs 50-day | -7.8% | -13.2% |
| Price vs 200-day | -11.3% | -8.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 38.3% | 21.8% |
Risk
BAC is the more resilient| Metric | AAL | BAC |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.94 | 0.75 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.2 | -0.13 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.36 | -0.16 |
| Max drawdown | -37.4% | -22.3% |
| Current drawdown | -33.3% | -21.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 48.2% | 21.9% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.6% | -2.5% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, AAL or BAC?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, BAC is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 46 against AAL's 45. The edge comes from risk resilience. AAL is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is AAL or BAC the better buy right now?
BAC carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor BAC over AAL?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. BAC leads Risk Resilience by 24 points; AAL leads Value by 5 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, AAL or BAC?
Analyst price targets imply +42.4% upside for AAL and +30.5% for BAC, so the Street currently favors AAL. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors BAC. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, AAL or BAC?
AAL is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. AAL on the peer-relative Value factor, by 5 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, AAL or BAC?
AAL on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, AAL or BAC?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, AAL or BAC?
BAC is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. BAC on Risk Resilience, by 24 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is AAL more profitable than BAC?
BAC leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 21% vs 60.4%; operating margin 1.7% vs 22.4%; ttm roe 8.3% vs 10.7%.
Is BAC's lead over AAL getting stronger or weaker?
BAC lead: Reversed — AAL led by 12 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; BAC now leads by 1. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 3 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-17, when BAC moved ahead of AAL.
What would change the AAL vs BAC verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: AAL closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to BAC's edge; AAL's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; BAC's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about AAL and BAC?
AAL: 0 bullish / 4 bearish / 2 neutral. BAC: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AAL is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On BAC it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare AAL and BAC with others
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This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.