United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Shares Gap Up – Here’s What Happened

Shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $95.03, but opened at $102.88. United Airlines shares last traded at $104.8150, with a volume of 3,375,697 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on UAL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $136.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $132.50 target price on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Argus decreased their target price on United Airlines from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 target price on United Airlines and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on United Airlines from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $131.19.

United Airlines Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The company has a market cap of $33.20 billion, a PE ratio of 10.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $99.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.34.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.35 billion. United Airlines had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 5.68%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.26 EPS. 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. Research analysts predict that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In related news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at $28,170,715.10. This represents a 6.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UAL. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in United Airlines by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,416,537 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $136,696,000 after purchasing an additional 16,478 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in United Airlines by 23.1% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,461,194 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $141,005,000 after purchasing an additional 274,572 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in United Airlines by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 909,263 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $87,804,000 after purchasing an additional 53,541 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its stake in United Airlines by 830.7% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 36,679 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,540,000 after purchasing an additional 32,738 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in United Airlines by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 92,327 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,910,000 after purchasing an additional 12,224 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

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.