United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Upgraded to "Buy" — Wall Street Zen moved United Airlines from a "hold" to a "buy" and the stock carries a consensus analyst rating of Buy with an average price target of about $132.94.
• Q1 beat but cautious outlook — United reported $1.19 EPS (vs. $1.08 est.) and $14.61B revenue (up 10.5% YoY), yet management issued conservative Q2/full‑year guidance (FY26 7.0–11.0 EPS; Q2 1.0–2.0 EPS) amid rising fuel costs.
• Near‑term risks remain: higher fuel costs have led to capacity cuts and a cargo surcharge that pressure unit economics, and merger/regulatory noise around a proposed mega‑deal adds additional uncertainty.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on UAL. Susquehanna set a $135.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Thursday. Argus lowered their price target on shares of United Airlines from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. TD Cowen raised shares of United Airlines from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $115.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.94.

United Airlines Stock Performance

United Airlines stock opened at $93.00 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market capitalization of $30.19 billion, a PE ratio of 8.30, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $97.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $102.33. United Airlines has a twelve month low of $65.66 and a twelve month high of $119.21.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. 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. Research analysts expect that United Airlines will post 9.72 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at United Airlines

In other news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the president directly owned 264,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

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

United Airlines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — UAL reported $1.19 GAAP EPS and $14.61B revenue, topping consensus and showing solid top-line growth; the call transcript highlights operational execution that helped the beat. Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target significantly and kept an outperform view, providing a catalyst for buyers and signaling analyst conviction in the recovery/earnings power. BMO Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Scott Kirby is publicly bullish on the macro outlook and demand durability, which reassures investors about revenue resilience even as costs spike. CEO Comments
• Neutral Sentiment: United introduced a market‑disruption surcharge on cargo to partially offset higher transport and fuel costs — a revenue-protection step that may help margins but signals ongoing cost pressure. Cargo Surcharge
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut full‑year guidance and flagged Q2 conservatism as fuel costs spike, which spooked some investors and analysts despite the Q1 beat. That guidance reduction is the primary near-term negative pressure on the stock. Guidance Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel-driven capacity cuts and higher fuel costs are already affecting unit economics; management is cutting capacity and expanding premium products to protect margins, but the near-term profit outlook is uncertain. Fuel & Capacity
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and merger-risk noise: Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized a proposed “mega‑merger” with American, and American’s CEO publicly called such a merger a non‑starter — heightening antitrust/regulatory uncertainty around consolidation talk. Merger/Regulatory Warren Article American CEO

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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