United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Rating Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on UAL. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $137.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on United Airlines from $132.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price target on United Airlines from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of United Airlines from $157.50 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $159.19.

United Airlines Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of UAL opened at $112.65 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $116.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.72. United Airlines has a one year low of $84.64 and a one year high of $138.77. The company has a market cap of $36.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.27.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, President Brett J. Hart sold 30,108 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.72, for a total transaction of $3,634,637.76. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 371,583 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,857,499.76. The trade was a 7.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 Nocella sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total transaction of $585,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 214,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,149,735. This trade represents a 2.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 221,629 shares of company stock valued at $26,328,598 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dunhill Financial LLC purchased a new position in United Airlines in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of United Airlines by 393.0% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 212 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. 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.