United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Rating Lowered to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on UAL. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on United Airlines from $131.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Barclays decreased their target price on United Airlines from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Citigroup increased their price objective on United Airlines from $132.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of United Airlines from $130.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $137.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $159.19.

United Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of UAL stock opened at $112.65 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $36.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.54, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $116.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $109.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. United Airlines has a 12 month low of $84.64 and a 12 month high of $138.77.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.88 by $0.11. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.56% and a return on equity of 19.05%. The company had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. United Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-11.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that United Airlines will post 9.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Torbjorn J. Enqvist sold 20,000 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.91, for a total transaction of $2,398,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,765,668. The trade was a 14.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Andrew P. Nocella sold 5,000 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total value of $585,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 214,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,149,735. This trade represents a 2.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 221,629 shares of company stock worth $26,328,598. 0.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dunhill Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Airlines during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in United Airlines by 393.0% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 212 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

About United Airlines

United Airlines Holdings, Inc is the parent company of United Airlines, a major U.S. commercial airline. Through its mainline operations and regional partners, United provides scheduled passenger air transportation and air cargo services to destinations across the United States and international markets.

United operates an extensive global network serving North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its principal hubs include Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, DC The airline offers multiple classes of service, including United Polaris business class, United First, United Premium Plus, Economy Plus and standard economy.

United traces its history to 1926 and has grown through the consolidation of several aviation businesses.