United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Reaches New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $120.91 and last traded at $123.8360, with a volume of 124304 shares. The stock had previously closed at $115.52.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on UAL. Zacks Research upgraded shares of United Airlines from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of United Airlines from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of United Airlines from $155.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of United Airlines from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.59.

United Airlines Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $99.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $103.51. The stock has a market cap of $38.95 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.27.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.19 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The business’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 9.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, EVP Kate Gebo sold 5,331 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.51, for a total transaction of $562,473.81. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 60,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,372,065.43. This represents a 8.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Andrew P. Nocella sold 7,000 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.19, for a total transaction of $631,330.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 215,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,421,965.55. The trade was a 3.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 47,000 shares of company stock worth $4,848,263. 0.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UAL. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in United Airlines by 7.0% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,448 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 421 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 318.4% in the first quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 2,234 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $206,000 after buying an additional 1,700 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA raised its stake in shares of United Airlines by 27.4% during the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 10,950 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,008,000 after buying an additional 2,357 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 6,112 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $563,000 after buying an additional 870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.