United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Trading Up 9.6% – Time to Buy?

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) shares were up 9.6% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $97.19 and last traded at $97.7190. Approximately 3,453,200 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 50% from the average daily volume of 6,923,469 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.12.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on UAL shares. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $155.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. TD Cowen raised shares of United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $125.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research cut shares of United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $136.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Airlines currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.18.

United Airlines Stock Up 0.7%

The firm has a market cap of $32.55 billion, a PE ratio of 8.96, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.20. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $93.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $101.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.64.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.91 earnings per share. United Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-11.000 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.000-2.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 9.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at United Airlines

In other news, EVP Andrew P. Nocella sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.19, for a total transaction of $631,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 215,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,421,965.55. The trade was a 3.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UAL. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

United Airlines Company Profile

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.