United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Sell-Side Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts rate United Airlines “Moderate Buy”: Fifteen of 17 analysts recommend buying the stock, with an average 12-month price target of $157.62 versus a reported price of $110.
• United exceeded quarterly expectations: The airline reported $1.99 in EPS and $17.67 billion in revenue, topping estimates, while revenue increased 16.4% year over year. Analysts expect approximately $9.66 in EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Institutional interest remains strong, but insiders sold shares: Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company, including a new $2.24 billion position from Primecap Management, while insiders sold $26.3 million worth of stock over the last quarter.

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the seventeen analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $157.62.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UAL. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on United Airlines from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of United Airlines from $157.50 to $140.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on United Airlines from $156.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on United Airlines from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th.

United Airlines Price Performance

NASDAQ:UAL opened at $110.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.70 billion, a PE ratio of 10.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.30. United Airlines has a 1-year low of $84.64 and a 1-year high of $138.77. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $115.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $109.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.88 by $0.11. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.56% and a return on equity of 19.05%. The firm had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.87 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. United Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-11.000 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that United Airlines will post 9.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, CEO J. Kirby sold 159,321 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total value of $18,807,844.05. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 797,851 shares of the company's stock, valued at $94,186,310.55. The trade was a 16.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew Nocella sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total transaction of $585,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 214,955 shares in the company, valued at $25,149,735. This represents a 2.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 221,629 shares of company stock worth $26,328,598 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in shares of United Airlines in the second quarter worth about $2,238,617,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $178,571,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $178,508,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $153,537,000. Finally, PointState Capital LP acquired a new position in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $120,968,000. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company's stock.

United Airlines Company Profile

United Airlines Holdings, Inc is the parent company of United Airlines, a major U.S. commercial airline. Through its mainline operations and regional partners, United provides scheduled passenger air transportation and air cargo services to destinations across the United States and international markets.

United operates an extensive global network serving North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its principal hubs include Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, DC The airline offers multiple classes of service, including United Polaris business class, United First, United Premium Plus, Economy Plus and standard economy.

United traces its history to 1926 and has grown through the consolidation of several aviation businesses.

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