United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $138.77 and last traded at $137.3180, with a volume of 1383130 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $135.19.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on United Airlines from $130.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $132.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $148.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of United Airlines from $150.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. One 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.59.

United Airlines Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $105.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.13. The firm has a market cap of $44.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.27, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.27.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.11. United Airlines had a return on equity of 24.33% and a net margin of 6.06%.The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.91 EPS. United Airlines’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities analysts anticipate that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 10.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In related news, CEO J Scott Kirby sold 1,078 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.74, for a total transaction of $130,157.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 797,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $96,332,529.74. This trade represents a 0.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 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 value of $631,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 215,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,421,965.55. This represents a 3.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 96,381 shares of company stock valued at $10,837,575 in the last 90 days. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UAL. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 32.1% in the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 654 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in United Airlines by 7.0% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,448 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $594,000 after purchasing an additional 421 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 1,700 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its position in United Airlines by 27.4% in the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 10,950 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after purchasing an additional 2,357 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Groupama Asset Managment increased its stake in United Airlines by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 6,112 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 870 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.