Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target on United Airlines from $150 to $182 and kept an overweight rating, implying about 62.7% upside from the prior close.
• Recent analyst sentiment remains mostly positive: United has an overall Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $134.59, while UBS also recently lifted its target and several firms maintained or upgraded bullish views.
• United’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $1.19 versus $1.08 expected and revenue of $14.61 billion, up 10.5% year over year; the company also issued FY2026 and Q2 2026 guidance.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $182.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the transportation company's stock. Morgan Stanley's target price points to a potential upside of 62.66% from the company's previous close.

UAL has been the subject of several other research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on United Airlines from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of United Airlines in a report on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of United Airlines from $118.00 to $112.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Airlines from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Susquehanna set a $135.00 target price on United Airlines in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $134.59.

United Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of United Airlines stock opened at $111.89 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a 50-day moving average of $95.75 and a 200 day moving average of $102.50. United Airlines has a 12 month low of $71.55 and a 12 month high of $119.21.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.11. United Airlines had a return on equity of 24.33% and a net margin of 6.06%.The business had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.91 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that United Airlines will post 9.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Kate Gebo sold 5,331 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.51, for a total value of $562,473.81. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 60,393 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,372,065.43. The trade was a 8.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew P. Nocella sold 7,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.19, for a total value of $631,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 215,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,421,965.55. The trade was a 3.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 47,000 shares of company stock worth $4,848,263. Insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of UAL. Glenmede Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 27.4% during the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 10,950 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,008,000 after buying an additional 2,357 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 16.6% during the first quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 6,112 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares during the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in United Airlines in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Bull Harbor Capital LLC acquired a new position in United Airlines in the first quarter worth about $801,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Advisors MI increased its holdings in United Airlines by 24.7% in the first quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 25,887 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,384,000 after buying an additional 5,124 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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