United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) CEO J Scott Kirby Sells 120,000 Shares

Key Points

• J. Scott Kirby, United's CEO, sold 120,000 shares on Dec. 3 at an average $107.86 for about $12.94M, cutting his stake by 15.26% to 666,535 shares (≈$71.9M).
• United reported a quarterly EPS of $2.78 (vs. $2.65 expected) and set Q4 2025 guidance of $3.00–$3.50, while the stock traded around $108.48 (up 3.9%), with a market cap of $35.1B and a P/E of 10.87.
• Analysts have largely upgraded targets (consensus rating "Moderate Buy" with a $125.67 average target) and institutional ownership is high (~69.7%), highlighted by large recent inflows from firms like Alyeska, AQR and Norges Bank.

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) CEO J Scott Kirby sold 120,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.86, for a total value of $12,943,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 666,535 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,892,465.10. This trade represents a 15.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

United Airlines Trading Up 3.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:UAL traded up $4.10 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $108.48. 6,275,236 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,352,110. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $97.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $92.44. The firm has a market cap of $35.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.30. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a 12-month low of $52.00 and a 12-month high of $116.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.67.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $2.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.64% and a return on equity of 26.94%. The firm had revenue of $15.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.33 earnings per share. United Airlines's revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. United Airlines has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on UAL shares. TD Cowen increased their price target on United Airlines from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on United Airlines from $149.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Loop Capital set a $110.00 target price on United Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on United Airlines from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $125.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 86.4% in the 1st quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 3,985,560 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $275,203,000 after purchasing an additional 1,847,884 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter worth $143,035,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in United Airlines by 334.6% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,793,454 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $116,539,000 after buying an additional 1,380,804 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in United Airlines by 352.6% in the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,468,818 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $116,962,000 after buying an additional 1,144,296 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in United Airlines in the second quarter valued at $84,753,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Airlines Company Profile

United Airlines Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company transports people and cargo through its mainline and regional fleets. It also offers catering, ground handling, flight academy, and maintenance services for third parties.

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