United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the seventeen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $96.15.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UAL. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on United Airlines from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of United Airlines from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of United Airlines from $98.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on United Airlines from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total transaction of $5,707,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 63,599 shares in the company, valued at $6,049,536.88. This represents a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Torbjorn J. Enqvist sold 14,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.00, for a total transaction of $1,044,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,427 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,190,744. This trade represents a 32.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 92,000 shares of company stock valued at $8,158,900 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new position in United Airlines during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of United Airlines during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new stake in United Airlines in the third quarter worth $36,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in United Airlines by 59.7% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 682 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in United Airlines by 108.6% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 753 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of UAL stock opened at $100.28 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $79.36 and its 200 day moving average is $58.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.10, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.44. United Airlines has a 12 month low of $37.02 and a 12 month high of $105.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $3.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.23. United Airlines had a return on equity of 30.72% and a net margin of 4.94%. The firm had revenue of $14.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Airlines will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current year.

United Airlines declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, October 15th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the transportation company to reacquire up to 7.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

About United Airlines

United Airlines Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company transports people and cargo through its mainline and regional fleets. It also offers catering, ground handling, flight academy, and maintenance services for third parties.