Virtus Wealth Solutions LLC Invests $2.91 Million in United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Key Points

• Virtus Wealth Solutions bought a new stake of 26,005 United Airlines shares in Q4 valued at approximately $2.91 million, representing about 0.6% of its portfolio and its 25th-largest holding.
• United beat Q1 estimates with $1.19 EPS (vs. $1.08 expected) and $14.61B revenue (vs. $14.19B), but management lowered near‑term guidance and warned that rising fuel costs and capacity cuts pose headwinds to margins.
• Analysts are largely bullish on UAL with a consensus "Buy" rating and an average price target of $132.94, while several firms have recently raised targets (e.g., BofA $130, UBS $139, Susquehanna $135).

Virtus Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 26,005 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $2,908,000. United Airlines comprises approximately 0.6% of Virtus Wealth Solutions LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UAL. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the second quarter worth about $84,753,000. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 12.1% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,243,066 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $698,977,000 after purchasing an additional 783,551 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP raised its stake in shares of United Airlines by 1,282.2% in the third quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP now owns 776,783 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $74,960,000 after purchasing an additional 720,583 shares in the last quarter. Candlestick Capital Management LP boosted its stake in United Airlines by 38.7% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Electron Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in United Airlines in the 3rd quarter valued at $56,837,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Airlines Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of United Airlines stock opened at $93.00 on Friday. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a 12-month low of $65.66 and a 12-month high of $119.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $97.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $102.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.11. United Airlines had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The firm had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.91 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Research analysts expect that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 9.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on UAL. Susquehanna set a $135.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of United Airlines from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on United Airlines from $148.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, United Airlines has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $132.94.

Insider Transactions at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total value of $2,022,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,170,715.10. The trade was a 6.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Key United Airlines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — UAL reported $1.19 GAAP EPS and $14.61B revenue, topping consensus and showing solid top-line growth; the call transcript highlights operational execution that helped the beat. Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target significantly and kept an outperform view, providing a catalyst for buyers and signaling analyst conviction in the recovery/earnings power. BMO Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Scott Kirby is publicly bullish on the macro outlook and demand durability, which reassures investors about revenue resilience even as costs spike. CEO Comments
• Neutral Sentiment: United introduced a market‑disruption surcharge on cargo to partially offset higher transport and fuel costs — a revenue-protection step that may help margins but signals ongoing cost pressure. Cargo Surcharge
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut full‑year guidance and flagged Q2 conservatism as fuel costs spike, which spooked some investors and analysts despite the Q1 beat. That guidance reduction is the primary near-term negative pressure on the stock. Guidance Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel-driven capacity cuts and higher fuel costs are already affecting unit economics; management is cutting capacity and expanding premium products to protect margins, but the near-term profit outlook is uncertain. Fuel & Capacity
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and merger-risk noise: Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized a proposed “mega‑merger” with American, and American’s CEO publicly called such a merger a non‑starter — heightening antitrust/regulatory uncertainty around consolidation talk. Merger/Regulatory Warren Article American CEO

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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