Cinctive Capital Management LP Boosts Position in United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Key Points

• Cinctive Capital boosted its stake in United Airlines by 3,377% in Q3 to 171,137 shares (about $16.5 million), making UAL its 28th-largest position and ~0.8% of the fund.
• Demand is strong—United set a daily bookings record—but soaring oil prices and geopolitical risk (Iran) are squeezing margins, triggering analyst price-target cuts and recent share volatility.
• United beat quarterly estimates (EPS $3.10 vs. $2.97) and issued FY2026 guidance of 12.0–14.0 EPS, though near-term profitability remains at risk from rising fuel costs.

Cinctive Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) by 3,377.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 171,137 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 166,215 shares during the quarter. United Airlines comprises approximately 0.8% of Cinctive Capital Management LP's portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Cinctive Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.05% of United Airlines worth $16,515,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management grew its position in shares of United Airlines by 36.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 557 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Airlines News Summary

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

Insider Activity

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UAL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of United Airlines from $115.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on United Airlines from $148.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Barclays boosted their target price on United Airlines from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their target price on United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.86.

United Airlines Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:UAL opened at $86.60 on Friday. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a 1-year low of $52.00 and a 1-year high of $119.21. 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 stock has a market cap of $28.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.25. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $108.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.32.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The company had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.26 earnings per share. United Airlines's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Sell-side analysts predict that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 EPS for the current year.

United Airlines Company Profile

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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