KBC Group NV Boosts Stock Holdings in United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Key Points

• KBC Group NV increased its stake in United Airlines by 16.8% in the first quarter, now holding 566,487 shares worth about $52.2 million.
• United Airlines reported Q2 earnings of $1.99 per share, beating analyst estimates, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $17.67 billion.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with 16 Buy ratings and a consensus target price of $156.79; several analysts also recently raised their price targets.

KBC Group NV lifted its position in United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) by 16.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 566,487 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 81,486 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned about 0.17% of United Airlines worth $52,157,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 61.0% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 84,286 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,425,000 after acquiring an additional 31,921 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 441.5% during the fourth quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,089 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,134,000 after purchasing an additional 15,564 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 49.4% during the fourth quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 39,921 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $4,464,000 after purchasing an additional 13,205 shares in the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new position in United Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at $1,872,000. Finally, Phoenix Financial Ltd. raised its stake in United Airlines by 129.6% in the 4th quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 23,183 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,592,000 after purchasing an additional 13,085 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Airlines Stock Performance

NASDAQ UAL opened at $117.52 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock's fifty day moving average is $115.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $106.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.25. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a fifty-two week low of $82.42 and a fifty-two week high of $138.77.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.88 by $0.11. United Airlines had a return on equity of 19.05% and a net margin of 5.56%.The business had revenue of $17.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.62 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.87 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. United Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-11.000 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 10.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UAL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Sunday. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $148.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $150.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Airlines from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $172.00 to $165.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Airlines has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $156.79.

Insider Activity at United Airlines

In other news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 1,078 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.74, for a total transaction of $130,157.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 797,851 shares in the company, valued at $96,332,529.74. This trade represents a 0.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 5,331 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.51, for a total transaction of $562,473.81. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 60,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,372,065.43. The trade was a 8.11% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 96,381 shares of company stock valued at $10,837,575. 0.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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