Strs Ohio Increases Stake in United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Key Points

• STRS Ohio raised its stake in United by 15.5% to 251,597 shares (about $28.1M) during Q4, and institutional investors now own roughly 69.69% of UAL with several large funds adding or initiating sizable positions.
• United beat Q1 estimates with $1.19 EPS vs. $1.08 expected and $14.61B revenue, set FY2026 guidance of 7.00–11.00 EPS (analysts forecast ~9.37 EPS) and carries an average analyst price target near $132.
• Near-term positives include demand capture from Spirit’s shutdown and new partnerships (Peacock inflight content, Lyft miles integration), but rising jet-fuel and oil prices are a notable near-term downside risk that could pressure margins.

Strs Ohio grew its position in United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) by 15.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 251,597 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 33,814 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio owned about 0.08% of United Airlines worth $28,134,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new position in United Airlines in the 2nd quarter worth about $84,753,000. Capital World Investors increased its stake in United Airlines by 12.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,243,066 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $698,977,000 after buying an additional 783,551 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP increased its stake in United Airlines by 1,282.2% in the 3rd quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP now owns 776,783 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $74,960,000 after buying an additional 720,583 shares during the period. Candlestick Capital Management LP increased its stake in United Airlines by 38.7% in the 3rd quarter. Candlestick Capital Management LP now owns 2,239,037 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $216,067,000 after buying an additional 624,752 shares during the period. Finally, Electron Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in United Airlines in the 3rd quarter worth about $56,837,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company's stock.

United Airlines Trading Up 2.8%

NASDAQ UAL opened at $92.50 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.70. The company has a market capitalization of $30.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.20. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $95.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $102.13. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a one year low of $71.24 and a one year high of $119.21.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.91 EPS. United Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-11.000 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.000-2.000 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 9.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of United Airlines from $155.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 price target on shares of United Airlines and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Susquehanna set a $135.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $136.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, TD Cowen raised shares of United Airlines from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $132.18.

Key Headlines Impacting United Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: United is publicly offering support to Spirit Airlines customers and employees, positioning itself to capture displaced passenger demand and generate incremental revenue while gaining goodwill. United Offers Support for Spirit Airlines Customers and Employees
• Positive Sentiment: Spirit’s abrupt shutdown has left many travelers scrambling — a near-term demand shock that legacy carriers like United can monetize through rebookings and additional flights, supporting ticket revenue and load factors. ‘I Was Devastated.' Spirit Passengers Rush to Find New Flights
• Positive Sentiment: United is expanding customer value via partnerships and content: a new inflight Peacock channel improves onboard experience (loyalty/ancillary benefit) and a Lyft integration lets customers pay rideshares with miles — both support engagement and non-ticket revenue. Peacock Takes Flight: United Launches New Inflight Entertainment Channel Lyft and United partner on rideshare-with-miles
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst commentary and market pieces point to continued investor interest after UAL’s upbeat earnings/outlook and attractive valuation (low P/E vs. history), which supports demand for the shares. These narratives likely underpin today's upside. Watch These United Airlines Price Levels as Stock Soars After Upbeat Earnings, Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail/bullish write-ups (InsiderMonkey/Yahoo summaries of Reddit thesis and stock-pick lists) highlight UAL’s low forward P/E and contrarian appeal; useful for sentiment but less likely to move institutional flows immediately. Is United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst modeled fair-value estimates moved only marginally after updated fuel views and company guidance (≈0.3% change), implying consensus expectations haven’t materially shifted. This suggests mixed offsetting forces: stronger revenue vs. higher costs. How The United Airlines (UAL) Investment Narrative Is Shifting With Fuel Costs And Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Rising jet-fuel and oil prices are a clear near-term headwind: summer jet fuel is tracking roughly $4.10–$4.30/gal and WTI is near $100/bbl, which pressures margins and could erode the benefit of higher fares if fuel hedges are insufficient. This is the primary downside risk for UAL heading into Q2. Airline Stocks Heading Into Summer 2026: Pricing Power vs Cost Pressure

Insider Buying and Selling

In other United Airlines news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the president owned 264,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,170,715.10. This trade represents a 6.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

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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