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

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

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on UAL. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of United Airlines from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of United Airlines from $115.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on United Airlines from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on United Airlines from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.97.

United Airlines Stock Up 0.0%

NASDAQ UAL opened at $109.31 on Friday. United Airlines has a 1 year low of $52.00 and a 1 year high of $119.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.35 billion, a PE ratio of 10.70, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The business’s 50-day moving average is $111.27 and its 200 day moving average is $103.30.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. 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 analysts’ expectations of $15.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.26 EPS. The business’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 forecast that United Airlines will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 approximately $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 accessible through this link. Also, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 120,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.86, for a total value of $12,943,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 666,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,892,465.10. The trade was a 15.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UAL. Norges Bank purchased a new position in United Airlines in the 4th quarter worth about $234,244,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 352.6% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,468,818 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $116,962,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144,296 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of United Airlines during the second quarter valued at approximately $84,753,000. Lansdowne Partners UK LLP bought a new position in United Airlines during the second quarter valued at approximately $68,177,000. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 783,551 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by 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.