United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Price Target Raised to $140.00 at TD Cowen

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price target raised by TD Cowen from $138.00 to $140.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. TD Cowen currently has a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on UAL. UBS Group raised their price target on United Airlines from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on United Airlines from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $132.50 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Thursday. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.97.

United Airlines Stock Performance

NASDAQ UAL opened at $110.40 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.65. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $107.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $100.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.31. United Airlines has a fifty-two week low of $52.00 and a fifty-two week high of $119.21.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The company had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.26 earnings per share. United Airlines’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, research analysts anticipate that United Airlines will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 120,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $71,892,465.10. This represents a 15.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 1.0% in the second 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 boosted its holdings in United Airlines by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 14,773,585 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,425,651,000 after purchasing an additional 258,670 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in United Airlines by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,571,093 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $921,406,000 after purchasing an additional 489,795 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of United Airlines by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,819,876 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $704,994,000 after buying an additional 90,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 12.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,243,066 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $698,977,000 after buying an additional 783,551 shares during the period. 69.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting United Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and record revenue — UAL reported $3.10 adjusted EPS and $15.4B revenue, topping estimates and driven by premium and corporate demand. UAL Stock Taking Flight After Earnings Confirm Strong Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Business travel rebound — management says corporate/business travel is “amazing,” supporting higher yields and loyalty revenue expansion that improves long‑term revenue mix. Business Travel Is Back—United Airlines Says Demand Is ‘Amazing’
• Positive Sentiment: Upgraded outlook and bookings — UAL raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance ($12–$14) and CEO noted record bookings, giving investors confidence in durable demand. United Airlines (UAL) Shares Rise on Higher 2026 Profit Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness — TD Cowen boosted its price target to $140 (buy), increasing upside thesis and momentum among buy-side models. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Some target trimming — Argus trimmed its target slightly to $135 but kept a buy, so street estimates remain constructive though not uniform. Argus price target note
• Neutral Sentiment: Loyalty revenue gains — loyalty revenue rose ~10% in Q4 (9% for FY2025), a steady, recurring cash generator that supports margins over cycles. United Airlines Distinguishes Between Loyalty, Rewards Programs
• Negative Sentiment: One‑time and structural headwinds — UAL disclosed a roughly $250M hit from the government shutdown and still faces cost/operational pressures; some analysts say a broader rerating is not guaranteed. United Airlines: Still Waiting For A Rerating

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.