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

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price objective upped by Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $140.00 in a report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the transportation company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on UAL. UBS Group boosted their price objective on United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Bank of America boosted their price target on United Airlines from $70.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $119.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $85.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $75.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, United Airlines has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $110.20.

United Airlines Price Performance

UAL stock opened at $105.00 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $34.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $99.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.14. United Airlines has a 52-week low of $37.02 and a 52-week high of $116.00.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The transportation company reported $3.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.96 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $14.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.40 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.52% and a return on equity of 32.26%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. Analysts predict that United Airlines will post 12.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Airlines declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, October 15th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the transportation company to repurchase up to 7.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total value of $5,707,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 63,599 shares in the company, valued at $6,049,536.88. This trade represents a 48.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 17,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.44, for a total transaction of $1,407,700.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 40,012 shares in the company, valued at $3,218,565.28. This represents a 30.43 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. abrdn plc boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. abrdn plc now owns 57,694 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,585,000 after buying an additional 2,528 shares during the period. One Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $203,000. Leisure Capital Management purchased a new position in United Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $224,000. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at about $210,000. Finally, Pacific Sage Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the fourth quarter worth approximately $297,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.