United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Price Target Raised to $140.00 at TD Cowen

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price target boosted by analysts at TD Cowen from $138.00 to $140.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. TD Cowen’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 23.85% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays raised their target price on shares of United Airlines from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of United Airlines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. UBS Group raised their target price on United Airlines from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Susquehanna lifted their target price on United Airlines from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $132.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.62.

United Airlines Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ UAL traded up $2.08 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $113.04. The company had a trading volume of 2,826,981 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,843,346. The stock has a market cap of $36.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.31. The business’s 50-day moving average is $107.58 and its 200-day moving average is $100.77. United Airlines has a 52 week low of $52.00 and a 52 week high of $119.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 26.00%. The business had revenue of $15.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.26 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Equities analysts expect that United Airlines will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 120,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.86, for a total value of $12,943,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 666,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $71,892,465.10. This represents a 15.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $143,035,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 352.6% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,468,818 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $116,962,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144,296 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new position in United Airlines in the second quarter worth $84,753,000. Lansdowne Partners UK LLP bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the second quarter valued at approximately $68,177,000. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its position in United Airlines by 12.1% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,243,066 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $698,977,000 after purchasing an additional 783,551 shares during the period. 69.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about United Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and outlook — United posted Q4 revenue of $15.4B and adjusted EPS of $3.10 (above estimates) and updated FY‑2026 guidance to $12.00–$14.00 EPS (midpoint $13), supporting higher earnings expectations. PR Newswire: UAL Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Demand momentum — management and the CEO cited record bookings and strong 2026 demand, with premium cabins and corporate travel driving higher yields and revenue momentum. This commentary supports continued profit expansion. MSN: CEO flags record bookings
• Positive Sentiment: Loyalty and premium mix — loyalty revenue grew ~10% in Q4 (9% for FY‑2025), and premium/corporate demand outpaced overall sales, underpinning margin resilience and higher ancillary revenue per passenger. PYMNTS: Loyalty revenue growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst target update — Argus trimmed its price target from $140 to $135 but kept a “buy” rating (still implying meaningful upside). The cut is modest and the rating remains positive, so impact is mixed. The Fly: Argus target lowered
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor caution — analysis such as Seeking Alpha notes UAL still faces structural and external headwinds (including a ~$250M hit from the government shutdown) and may need a re‑rating to reflect sustained multiple expansion. Seeking Alpha: Still waiting for a rerating
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive/operational risk — escalating network competition at hubs (e.g., Chicago O’Hare dispute with American) could pressure yields or require defensive capacity/marketing decisions that weigh on near‑term margins. MSN: O’Hare competition

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.