United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL – Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by investment analysts at Argus from $140.00 to $135.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Argus’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 18.68% from the stock’s previous close.
Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital set a $110.00 price target on United Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $132.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $149.00 to $156.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.06.
Check Out Our Latest Report on UAL
United Airlines Stock Performance
United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.35 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 26.00%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.26 earnings per share. 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, equities research analysts predict that United Airlines will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Activity at United Airlines
In other news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 120,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.86, for a total transaction of $12,943,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 666,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,892,465.10. This represents a 15.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in United Airlines by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,330,017 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,972,589,000 after acquiring an additional 368,401 shares in the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of United Airlines by 1.8% in the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 14,773,585 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,425,651,000 after purchasing an additional 258,670 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 4.4% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,571,093 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $921,406,000 after purchasing an additional 489,795 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 1.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,819,876 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $704,994,000 after buying an additional 90,350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its holdings in United Airlines by 12.1% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,243,066 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $698,977,000 after buying an additional 783,551 shares in the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Key United Airlines News
Here are the key news stories impacting United Airlines this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Beat on profit and revenue — UAL reported adjusted Q4 EPS of $3.10 (above consensus) and record quarterly revenue of $15.4B, confirming solid profitability and operational improvement. United Airlines Q4 and Full Year EPS Beat Wall Street Expectations
- Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 guidance — management set EPS guidance of $12.00–$14.00 (midpoint $13), signaling continued earnings growth and giving investors a clearer path to higher profits. United Airlines targets $12–$14 EPS for 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Premium and loyalty strength — premium cabins and loyalty revenue are growing faster than overall sales (loyalty revenue +10% Q4, +9% FY), supporting higher yields and mix improvement. United Airlines Distinguishes Between Loyalty, Rewards Programs
- Positive Sentiment: Strong bookings/demand signal — CEO and company commentary flagged record bookings and robust 2026 demand, reinforcing investor confidence in forward revenue momentum. UAL stock rises premarket as CEO flags record bookings
- Neutral Sentiment: Near‑term guidance nuance — Q1 2026 guide of $1.00–$1.50 EPS (vs. consensus ~1.07) is a wide range; it leaves some uncertainty about early‑year pacing even as full‑year guidance is bullish. MarketBeat UAL coverage
- Negative Sentiment: One‑time government shutdown hit — management disclosed roughly a $250M headwind in Q4 from the November government shutdown, which lowered reported profit and masks underlying trends. United Airlines: Still Waiting For A Rerating
- Negative Sentiment: Competitive/operational risk at O’Hare — escalating capacity and competitive disputes with American at Chicago O’Hare could pressure local yields or increase costs. United draws ‘line in the sand’ in escalating Chicago O’Hare fight
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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