United Airlines Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:UAL)

United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors bought 46,766 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 117% compared to the typical volume of 21,596 call options.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total value of $2,022,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 264,638 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,170,715.10. This trade represents a 6.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UAL. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $246,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 24.0% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 39,872 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,753,000 after buying an additional 7,713 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 92.7% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,349 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $853,000 after buying an additional 5,939 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 156.8% during the second quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 2,642 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $210,000 after buying an additional 1,613 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors boosted its position in United Airlines by 52.1% during the second quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 7,605 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $606,000 after acquiring an additional 2,606 shares during 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 opened at $100.48 on Thursday. United Airlines has a 12-month low of $52.00 and a 12-month high of $119.21. The stock has a market cap of $32.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.83, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The company has a 50-day moving average of $111.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $104.84.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The business had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.35 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.26 EPS. The company’s revenue 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. As a group, research analysts predict that United Airlines will post 12.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on UAL shares. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 target price on United Airlines and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of United Airlines in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $148.00 target price on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Argus reduced their price target on shares of United Airlines from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on United Airlines from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $137.32.

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.