Clearfield Capital Management LP Acquires 232,781 Shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Key Points

• Clearfield Capital boosted its United Airlines stake by 170%, buying 232,781 shares to hold 369,700 shares (about 21.4% of its portfolio), worth roughly $35.68 million.
• United President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares at an average $106.45 for about $2.02 million, reducing his ownership by 6.7%.
• United beat quarterly EPS estimates ($3.10 vs. $2.97) and gave FY2026 EPS guidance of 12.00–14.00, but the stock is pressured by rising jet‑fuel prices, geopolitical risk and recent analyst cuts despite an average price target of $133.86.

Clearfield Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) by 170.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 369,700 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 232,781 shares during the period. United Airlines makes up about 21.4% of Clearfield Capital Management LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Clearfield Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.11% of United Airlines worth $35,676,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UAL. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth $246,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 24.0% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 39,872 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,753,000 after purchasing an additional 7,713 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 92.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,349 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $853,000 after purchasing an additional 5,939 shares during the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 16.3% in the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,675 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of United Airlines by 54.5% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 10,839 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $863,000 after purchasing an additional 3,823 shares during the period. 69.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the company'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 completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 264,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

United Airlines Stock Performance

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

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.26 EPS. 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. On average, analysts forecast that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UAL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Susquehanna upped their price objective on United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Argus reduced their target price on United Airlines from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered United Airlines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on United Airlines in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.86.

United Airlines 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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