Zacks Research Upgrades United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) to “Hold”

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen raised shares of United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $155.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $150.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Airlines has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.59.

United Airlines Stock Up 2.6%

United Airlines stock opened at $115.52 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $37.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. United Airlines has a twelve month low of $71.55 and a twelve month high of $119.21. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $99.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $103.46.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The business’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. 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. As a group, analysts expect that United Airlines will post 9.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at United Airlines

In related news, EVP Andrew P. Nocella sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.19, for a total transaction of $631,330.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 215,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,421,965.55. This trade represents a 3.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 5,331 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.51, for a total transaction of $562,473.81. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 60,393 shares in the company, valued at $6,372,065.43. This represents a 8.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 47,000 shares of company stock worth $4,848,263 in the last quarter. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UAL. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in United Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $246,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted 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 valued at $2,753,000 after buying an additional 7,713 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in United Airlines by 92.7% in 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 in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in United Airlines by 23.5% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC boosted its position in United Airlines by 73.5% in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.