Wall Street Zen Upgrades United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) to Buy

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

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $132.50 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $149.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on United Airlines from $138.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.97.

United Airlines Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of UAL stock opened at $109.31 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $111.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.12. United Airlines has a 52 week low of $52.00 and a 52 week high of $119.21. The stock has a market cap of $35.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.70, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last issued its 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 return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 5.68%.The firm had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.26 earnings per share. The business’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. Analysts predict that United Airlines will post 12.96 EPS for the current fiscal 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 owned 666,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $71,892,465.10. This represents a 15.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total value of $2,022,550.00. Following the sale, the president directly owned 264,638 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UAL. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in shares of United Airlines by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $206,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 51.4% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 318 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 9.1% in 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 United Airlines by 20.5% in the third quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 669 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.