United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Issues Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.500-1.500 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.810. The company issued revenue guidance of $18.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $18.2 billion.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UAL. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $160.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of United Airlines from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of United Airlines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Sixteen 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $158.69.

United Airlines Price Performance

Shares of United Airlines stock traded up $3.90 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $101.67. 10,647,942 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,725,026. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $110.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $110.65. United Airlines has a twelve month low of $84.64 and a twelve month high of $138.77. The company has a market cap of $33.00 billion, a PE ratio of 9.51, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.30.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.57 by ($0.03). United Airlines had a return on equity of 19.05% and a net margin of 5.56%. The company had revenue of $17.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.78 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that United Airlines will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Torbjorn J. Enqvist sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.91, for a total value of $2,398,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,765,668. The trade was a 14.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, President Brett Hart sold 30,108 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the president owned 371,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,857,499.76. This represents a 7.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 62,308 shares of company stock valued at $7,520,754 in the last ninety days. 0.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

United Airlines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: United expects fourth-quarter revenue of approximately $18.5 billion, above the $18.2 billion consensus estimate, with year-over-year growth projected to exceed 20%. The outlook suggests continued pricing power, strong bookings and resilient customer spending. United Airlines forecasts record fourth-quarter revenue growth above 20%
• Positive Sentiment: The airline expanded its revolving credit facility from $3 billion to $5 billion, strengthening liquidity and financial flexibility amid elevated fuel costs. Management also said it recaptured 72% of higher quarterly fuel expenses through pricing and other actions. United Airlines: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicated speculative bullish positioning, while plans for United’s largest airport lounge at Houston’s hub support its premium-service and customer-experience strategy. United Airlines set to open its biggest airport lounge
• Neutral Sentiment: Boeing’s certification of the 737 MAX 10 removes a delivery bottleneck. United is among the aircraft’s customers, so the approval could improve future fleet capacity, though any financial benefit is likely longer term. Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 approval
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.54 missed the $2.57 consensus, while revenue of $17.88 billion was essentially in line with expectations. Profit declined from the prior year as fuel expenses rose sharply. UAL Q3 Earnings Miss on Surging Fuel Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.50 to $1.50 was well below the $1.81 analyst consensus. United also warned that elevated fuel costs may continue through 2027, creating a significant margin risk even while aircraft remain full. United Airlines flags fuel-cost margin challenges
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Scott Kirby’s renewed support for a wealth tax has generated political and public criticism, including scrutiny of his compensation and United’s fees. The controversy is unlikely to materially change fundamentals but may add reputational and headline risk. United Airlines CEO doubles down on wealth tax support

United Airlines Company Profile

United Airlines Holdings, Inc is the parent company of United Airlines, a major U.S. commercial airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company provides scheduled passenger air transportation and air cargo services, connecting customers across the United States and to international destinations.

United operates a broad network serving North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Its operations are supported by hubs in major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, DC, as well as an extensive network of regional carriers operating under the United Express brand.

The company offers several travel classes and related services, including premium-cabin seating, onboard amenities, airport lounges and the MileagePlus customer loyalty program.