Cartenna Capital LP Invests $19.30 Million in United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Key Points

• Cartenna Capital LP opened a new position in United Airlines, purchasing 200,000 shares worth about $19.3 million, roughly 0.06% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — several firms have cut ratings or price targets and moved to "hold," but the consensus remains a Moderate Buy (15 Buys vs. 3 Holds) with an average price target near $133.86.
• Fundamentals and risks diverge: UAL beat quarterly EPS expectations ($3.10) and guided to FY‑2026 EPS of $12.00–$14.00, yet the stock trades around $86.60 (below its 50/200‑day averages) amid concerns about rising fuel costs and margin pressure.

Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new position in United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 200,000 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $19,300,000. Cartenna Capital LP owned approximately 0.06% of United Airlines as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UAL. Cinctive Capital Management LP increased its stake in United Airlines by 3,377.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP now owns 171,137 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $16,515,000 after acquiring an additional 166,215 shares during the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 18.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 3,959 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $382,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. Bridgefront Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Airlines during the third quarter worth about $1,045,000. California Public Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 7.2% during the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 706,108 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $68,139,000 after purchasing an additional 47,485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC bought a new position in shares of United Airlines in the third quarter worth approximately $3,689,000. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UAL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of United Airlines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. TD Cowen lowered shares of United Airlines from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Argus lowered their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of United Airlines from $115.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.86.

Key Headlines Impacting United Airlines

Here are the key news stories impacting United Airlines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains robust — United set a daily record for bookings, showing continued travel strength that supports revenue and load factors. United daily bookings record
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts still see upside — high street price targets and “buy” calls (e.g., a $138.56 target highlighted by 247WallSt and Jefferies maintaining buy despite trimming targets) frame the recent sell‑off as a buying opportunity for longer‑term investors. Wall Street $138.56 price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Index/market context is mixed — S&P futures show a modest rebound amid macro moves, which may limit broad market downside for airline stocks but won’t offset sector‑specific fuel pressure. S&P futures and macro context
• Neutral Sentiment: Nasdaq attention on United’s routes could boost visibility, but it’s unlikely to move near‑term margins given rising costs. Nasdaq index attention
• Negative Sentiment: Oil surge and geopolitical risk (Iran war) are the dominant negative — jet fuel costs spiking toward $100/bbl is being priced into airline equities and threatens margins. Sector technical levels are breaking as investors reprice risk. Oil surge/cliff edge for airlines
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cuts and downgrades—multiple firms trimmed price targets (Redburn to $110; Jefferies cut to $125) and at least one shop moved to “hold,” citing mounting fuel‑cost pressure, which adds downward pressure on the stock. Redburn PT cut to $110
• Negative Sentiment: Shares were volatile and recently fell faster than the market after the run of headlines about fuel and PT cuts; investors are weighing margin risk despite solid top‑line demand. Zacks on recent share decline
• Negative Sentiment: Higher airfares are showing up in consumer headlines; while demand holds, sticker shock and rising energy costs are expected to compress airline profits. Airfares and margin pressure

United Airlines Price Performance

Shares of United Airlines stock opened at $86.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $108.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.25. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a one year low of $52.00 and a one year high of $119.21.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 5.68%.The firm had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.26 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. United Airlines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.000-1.500 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.000-14.000 EPS. Analysts forecast that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $2,022,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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