United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 12.000-14.000 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 13.130. The company issued revenue guidance of -. United Airlines also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.000-1.500 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UAL. Weiss Ratings cut United Airlines from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of United Airlines from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Loop Capital set a $110.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $132.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.94.

United Airlines Stock Down 4.3%

UAL stock traded down $4.92 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $108.57. The company had a trading volume of 9,135,462 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,464,740. The company has a market capitalization of $35.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.88, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.31. United Airlines has a 52 week low of $52.00 and a 52 week high of $119.21. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $107.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $100.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.64% and a return on equity of 26.94%. The firm had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. 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. As a group, equities analysts predict that United Airlines will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 120,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 666,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,892,465.10. This trade represents a 15.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting United Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat — United reported $3.10 EPS vs. $2.97 expected and posted record Q4 revenue and full‑year FY25 diluted EPS of $10.20 (adjusted $10.62), signaling strong profitability and margin improvement. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Premium and loyalty strength — Management said premium cabin and loyalty revenue grew faster than overall sales, helping unit revenue and positioning United to capture higher-yield travel demand. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive industry commentary — TV and market commentators (including Jim Cramer) are upbeat on the “big five” travel names, which can support sentiment but is not a direct driver of fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity ahead of/after the print — Several analysts revised forecasts ahead of the call and commentary on whether 2026 can sustain record earnings will drive near‑term moves. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market and competitor caution — Delta’s earlier cautious tone lowered the bar for airlines and left investors focused on guidance and global volatility; broad U.S. futures weakness also pressured stocks today. UAL Earnings Seek to Reverse Airline Caution Signaled by DAL
• Negative Sentiment: Safety incident headline risk — A widely circulated report about a near crash‑landing after a mechanical issue creates reputational and short‑term headline risk despite no regulatory action reported so far. Article Title

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in United Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of United Airlines in the 3rd quarter valued at $41,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of United Airlines in the third quarter worth about $68,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in United Airlines by 522.1% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 958 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter worth $77,000. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

United Airlines Company Profile

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.