United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.11 EPS

Key Points

• United Airlines reported Q1 EPS of $1.19 and revenue of $14.61 billion, beating consensus estimates and delivering ~10.5% year‑over‑year revenue growth.
• Management cut guidance to FY2026 EPS $7.00–$11.00 and Q2 EPS $1.00–$2.00, a downgrade from prior expectations that has pressured the stock.
• The company disclosed a roughly $340 million fuel‑cost increase and plans to trim about 5 percentage points of planned capacity, posing near‑term margin headwinds.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.11, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 5.68%.United Airlines's revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.91 EPS. United Airlines updated its FY 2026 guidance to 7.000-11.000 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance to 1.000-2.000 EPS.

United Airlines Price Performance

NASDAQ UAL opened at $97.13 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $98.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $102.51. United Airlines has a 52 week low of $65.26 and a 52 week high of $119.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.50, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.28.

Key Stories Impacting United Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on both EPS and revenue: United reported adjusted EPS that topped consensus and total revenue rose ~10% year‑over‑year, with improved pre‑tax and adjusted pre‑tax margins — confirming stronger operating leverage coming out of the quarter. United Beats Q1 Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Solid underlying results and cash generation highlighted by third‑party reports (revenue, operating profit and net income rose materially year‑over‑year), which supports longer‑term profit recovery thesis. QuiverQuant Q1 Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reiterated a long‑term strategy focused on premium segmentation and MileagePlus enhancements; positive for brand and yield mix but benefits are multi‑quarter. PR Newswire Strategy Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Merger chatter remains in the background: the idea of a United‑American tie‑up has been publicly dismissed by American, removing one speculative upside driver but also reducing regulatory uncertainty around a hypothetical deal. American Rejects Merger
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance cut: United lowered Q2 and FY‑2026 EPS ranges well below prior consensus (FY guide now $7–$11 vs. prior ~$9+ consensus), a primary reason for the stock weakness despite the quarter’s beat. CNBC Guidance Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel cost pressure: management disclosed a large fuel bill increase (~$340M for the quarter) and said higher fuel prompted tactical adjustments and plans to cut ~5 points of planned capacity for the year — a margin headwind and source of near‑term uncertainty. WSJ on Fuel Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and some institutional trimming were noted in filings and data trackers; coupled with sector sensitivity to geopolitical/energy shocks, this amplifies downside risk while oil and Iran tensions remain elevated. QuiverQuant Insider & Institutional Data

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UAL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of United Airlines from $145.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 16th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of United Airlines from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded United Airlines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Airlines currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $133.74.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $2,022,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,170,715.10. The trade was a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new position in United Airlines during the fourth quarter valued at $246,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in United Airlines by 24.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 39,872 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,753,000 after buying an additional 7,713 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of United Airlines by 92.7% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,349 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $853,000 after buying an additional 5,939 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of United Airlines by 23.5% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 292,580 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $23,298,000 after buying an additional 55,728 shares during the period. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 73.5% during the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 9,410 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $749,000 after buying an additional 3,987 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company's stock.

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.