United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Rating Upgraded by TD Cowen

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) was upgraded by research analysts at TD Cowen from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their target price on shares of United Airlines from $125.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $136.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $132.50 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $147.00 to $134.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $132.31.

United Airlines Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:UAL opened at $94.15 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $106.16 and its 200 day moving average is $103.99. The stock has a market cap of $30.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.25. United Airlines has a 52-week low of $52.00 and a 52-week high of $119.21. 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 for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 5.68%.The business had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.26 EPS. United Airlines’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Sell-side analysts predict that United Airlines will post 12.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $2,022,550.00. Following the transaction, the president owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UAL. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $234,244,000. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of United Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at about $84,753,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 56.8% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,928,657 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $325,549,000 after buying an additional 1,060,371 shares during the period. Lansdowne Partners UK LLP purchased a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the second quarter worth about $68,177,000. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 12.1% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,243,066 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $698,977,000 after buying an additional 783,551 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

Key United Airlines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen upgraded UAL from “hold” to “strong-buy,” giving investors a near-term catalyst and implied confidence in the airline’s fundamentals and cash returns. TD Cowen Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: United began selling tickets for its new 787‑9 Dreamliner outfitted with the United Elevated interior and larger Polaris Studio suites — a higher-margin premium product that can boost international revenue per seat. Tickets on Sale for United’s First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage notes United is actively testing the Elevated 787 suites as a deliberate premium profitability play — signaling management is pushing products that could improve yields on long‑haul routes. United Tests Elevated 787 Suites
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually high call‑option volume suggests speculative or hedged bullish positioning by traders (call volume ~44% above average), which can amplify upside in the stock. Unusually High Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS says airline stocks now hinge on pricing power as carriers push multiple fare hikes; this supports revenue expectations but creates execution risk if demand softens. Airline stocks hinge on pricing power
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting UAL rose while the broader market dipped provides context that stock strength may be partly idiosyncratic rather than market-driven. United Rises As Market Takes a Dip
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target on UAL to $130, which may restrain analyst-driven upside and investor sentiment. Wells Fargo Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Macro headwinds — notably a sharp recent rise in crude oil — increase fuel cost pressure and could compress margins if carriers can’t fully pass costs to travelers. How 4 Major U.S. Airlines Stack Up in 2026

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.