United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold”

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on UAL. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 price objective on United Airlines and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on United Airlines from $148.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen downgraded United Airlines from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America raised their price target on United Airlines from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on United Airlines from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $133.86.

United Airlines Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ UAL opened at $86.60 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $28.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.25. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $108.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.65. United Airlines has a 52-week low of $52.00 and a 52-week high of $119.21.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $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. Analysts expect that United Airlines will post 12.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $2,022,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in 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 buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC lifted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in United Airlines by 51.4% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 318 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of United Airlines by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,352 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $151,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp grew its stake in shares of United Airlines by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 669 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting United Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains robust — United set a daily record for bookings, showing continued travel strength that supports revenue and load factors. United daily bookings record
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts still see upside — high street price targets and “buy” calls (e.g., a $138.56 target highlighted by 247WallSt and Jefferies maintaining buy despite trimming targets) frame the recent sell‑off as a buying opportunity for longer‑term investors. Wall Street $138.56 price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Index/market context is mixed — S&P futures show a modest rebound amid macro moves, which may limit broad market downside for airline stocks but won’t offset sector‑specific fuel pressure. S&P futures and macro context
• Neutral Sentiment: Nasdaq attention on United’s routes could boost visibility, but it’s unlikely to move near‑term margins given rising costs. Nasdaq index attention
• Negative Sentiment: Oil surge and geopolitical risk (Iran war) are the dominant negative — jet fuel costs spiking toward $100/bbl is being priced into airline equities and threatens margins. Sector technical levels are breaking as investors reprice risk. Oil surge/cliff edge for airlines
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cuts and downgrades—multiple firms trimmed price targets (Redburn to $110; Jefferies cut to $125) and at least one shop moved to “hold,” citing mounting fuel‑cost pressure, which adds downward pressure on the stock. Redburn PT cut to $110
• Negative Sentiment: Shares were volatile and recently fell faster than the market after the run of headlines about fuel and PT cuts; investors are weighing margin risk despite solid top‑line demand. Zacks on recent share decline
• Negative Sentiment: Higher airfares are showing up in consumer headlines; while demand holds, sticker shock and rising energy costs are expected to compress airline profits. Airfares and margin pressure

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.