United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is favorable: United Airlines has a “Moderate Buy” consensus from 18 brokerages, with 16 buy ratings and two holds. The average 12-month price target is $156.79, above the reported opening price of $125.34.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: United reported adjusted EPS of $1.99 versus the $1.88 consensus estimate and revenue of $17.67 billion, up 16.4% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.00–$11.00.
• Ownership activity was mixed: Institutional investors own 69.69% of the stock and several firms increased their positions, while insiders sold approximately $35.95 million worth of shares over the past 90 days.

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $156.7941.

A number of research firms recently commented on UAL. Wall Street Zen cut shares of United Airlines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Citigroup increased their price objective on United Airlines from $132.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Sunday, July 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on United Airlines from $156.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on United Airlines from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th.

United Airlines Stock Performance

NASDAQ UAL opened at $125.34 on Monday. United Airlines has a 52-week low of $84.64 and a 52-week high of $138.77. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $123.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.14. 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 company has a market capitalization of $40.68 billion, a PE ratio of 11.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.28.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.88 by $0.11. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.56% and a return on equity of 19.05%. The business had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.87 earnings per share. 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 predict that United Airlines will post 10.48 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Airlines news, EVP Kate Gebo sold 5,331 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,372,065.43. This represents a 8.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Andrew P. Nocella sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.30, for a total transaction of $396,900.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 219,955 shares of the company's stock, valued at $29,100,046.50. This represents a 1.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 306,010 shares of company stock worth $35,949,843 in the last ninety days. 0.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. CWM LLC lifted its position in United Airlines by 61.0% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 84,286 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,425,000 after purchasing an additional 31,921 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in United Airlines by 11.2% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 418,647 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $38,544,000 after purchasing an additional 42,111 shares during the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 49.4% in the 4th 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. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new position in shares of United Airlines in the 4th quarter worth about $1,872,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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