United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Trading Up 11.4% – Should You Buy?

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL)’s share price rose 11.4% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $102.50 and last traded at $99.5050. Approximately 6,760,272 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 3% from the average daily volume of 6,935,205 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.29.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on UAL. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $132.50 price target on shares of United Airlines in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Airlines in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays upped their price target on United Airlines from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Argus decreased their price target on United Airlines from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price target on United Airlines from $125.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $131.19.

United Airlines Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $100.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.62. The company has a market capitalization of $31.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 5.68%.The company had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.26 EPS. United Airlines’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. United Airlines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.000-1.500 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.000-14.000 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other United Airlines news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total value of $2,022,550.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 264,638 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 36,617 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,595,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 51.4% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 318 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 9.1% in the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,352 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $151,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp increased its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 669 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.