Residual stress is a critical concern in directed energy deposition (DED) as it impacts the functional performance of components, in terms of load-bearing capacity and corrosion behavior. In this paper, an analytical model is developed to characterize the temperature distribution, residual stress profiles, and geometric distortions in DED-built components, which enables efficient planning of the DED strategies. The model combines a finite difference method to predict the temperature history, modified Green's functions to quantify thermal stress, and a radial return method to update plastic stress, which features the deposition of materials with heat source movement. The predictions are validated against the temperature, residual stress, and distortion profiles reported in the literature. In the fabrication of multiple-layer thin-wall structures, the model demonstrates a maximum prediction error of 18.2% for the peak temperature at the middle of the deposit-substrate interface and 17.7% for the vertical distortion of the deposit-substrate system. Simulation results from the model provide insights into understanding stress evolution in the deposition and offer guidance in the selection of linear energy density parameters (heat source power and traverse speed) and process planning parameters (idle time and deposition patterns) when designing DED strategies for thin-wall structures. This approach can be implemented in an efficient workflow to optimize the DED technologies for specified residual stress profiles within a component geometry regardless of heat source or material type.