BMO Capital Markets Increases United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Price Target to $157.50

Key Points

• BMO Capital Markets raised its price target on United Airlines to $157.50 from $130 and kept an outperform rating, implying about 18% upside from the prior close.
• Other analysts also turned more bullish, with several firms lifting targets and maintaining buy-type ratings; the stock now has 16 Buy ratings, 2 Hold ratings, and an average target of $149.26.
• United Airlines shares fell 1.4% to $133.28 despite the target increase, even after the company recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by BMO Capital Markets from $130.00 to $157.50 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "outperform" rating on the transportation company's stock. BMO Capital Markets' target price would indicate a potential upside of 18.17% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on UAL. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $150.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $132.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of United Airlines from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price objective on United Airlines from $125.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on United Airlines from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $149.26.

United Airlines Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of UAL stock traded down $1.85 on Thursday, hitting $133.28. The stock had a trading volume of 2,059,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,716,630. The company's 50 day moving average price is $107.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $105.52. United Airlines has a 1 year low of $79.86 and a 1 year high of $138.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.25.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a return on equity of 24.33% and a net margin of 6.06%.United Airlines's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. United Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-11.000 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.000-2.000 EPS. Analysts anticipate that United Airlines will post 9.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 48,303 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.30, for a total value of $5,859,153.90. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 798,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $96,910,087.70. This trade represents a 5.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 34,669 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.41, for a total transaction of $3,654,459.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 67,707 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,136,994.87. This trade represents a 33.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 96,381 shares of company stock worth $10,837,575 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cache Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, BOCHK Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in United Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About United Airlines

United Airlines Holdings, Inc operates United Airlines, a major U.S. full-service passenger carrier providing scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. The company offers a comprehensive route network that covers domestic markets across the United States as well as extensive international service to Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific. United operates a mixed fleet of narrow- and wide-body aircraft on point-to-point and hub-and-spoke routes, and supports corporate and leisure travel through offerings such as premium cabins, basic economy, and ancillary services including baggage, seat selection and in-flight amenities.

In addition to passenger operations, United provides cargo services through United Cargo, handling freight, mail and specialized shipments.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.