United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Downgraded to Hold (C+) Rating by Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• United Airlines was downgraded from a "buy (b-)" to a "hold (c+)" rating by Weiss Ratings, indicating a shift in analysts' confidence towards the stock.
• Despite the downgrade, other analysts have raised their price targets for United Airlines, with Susquehanna increasing theirs from $109 to $115 and UBS Group from $114 to $131.
• The company's stock is currently trading at around $98.09, showcasing a significant increase from its 52-week low of $52.00, but still below its high of $116.00.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Weiss Ratings from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Susquehanna lifted their price target on United Airlines from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $114.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $105.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of United Airlines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $120.64.

United Airlines Price Performance

NASDAQ UAL traded up $1.44 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $98.09. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,431,138 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,508,312. United Airlines has a fifty-two week low of $52.00 and a fifty-two week high of $116.00. The company's 50-day moving average is $99.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market cap of $31.75 billion, a PE ratio of 9.83, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.45.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The transportation company reported $3.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.81 by $0.06. United Airlines had a return on equity of 30.09% and a net margin of 5.71%.The firm had revenue of $15.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.14 EPS. United Airlines's revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. United Airlines has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.000-11.000 EPS. Analysts forecast that United Airlines will post 12.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Michelle Freyre sold 900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.13, for a total transaction of $82,917.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 829 shares in the company, valued at $76,375.77. This trade represents a 52.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Brett J. Hart sold 24,772 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total value of $2,217,094.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 283,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,385,601. The trade was a 8.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 106,791 shares of company stock worth $9,992,318 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new stake in United Airlines in the fourth quarter worth approximately $246,000. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines in the 1st quarter valued at $387,000. Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 14.3% during the 1st quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 5,206 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 653 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in United Airlines by 23.7% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,108 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its holdings in United Airlines by 38.1% during the 1st quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 7,986 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $551,000 after acquiring an additional 2,205 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About United Airlines

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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