Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Price

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

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $108.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of United Airlines from $98.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up previously from $120.00) on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Melius Research raised shares of United Airlines to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $107.70.

United Airlines Trading Down 4.6 %

UAL opened at $103.00 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $98.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $70.51. United Airlines has a 52 week low of $37.02 and a 52 week high of $116.00. The firm has a market cap of $33.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.92, 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.

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

United Airlines announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, October 15th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the transportation company to purchase up to 7.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 63,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. The trade was a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 17,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.44, for a total value of $1,407,700.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 40,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,218,565.28. This represents a 30.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UAL. TriaGen Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $644,000. Caprock Group LLC bought a new position in shares of United Airlines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 3,383.2% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 188,753 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $18,328,000 after purchasing an additional 183,334 shares during the period. Busey Bank bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $220,000. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new position in United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth $917,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

United Airlines Company Profile

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.