United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Receives “Outperform” Rating from Raymond James

Raymond James reissued their outperform rating on shares of United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) in a research note published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $130.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $120.00.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on UAL. Dbs Bank raised United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $119.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective 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. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of United Airlines from $70.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of United Airlines from $108.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. One research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.70.

United Airlines Stock Performance

UAL stock opened at $103.00 on Thursday. United Airlines has a 1 year low of $37.02 and a 1 year high of $116.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.92, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $98.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.51.

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

United Airlines announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, October 15th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the transportation company to buy up to 7.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total transaction of $5,707,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 63,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This trade represents a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 17,500 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 40,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in United Airlines in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in United Airlines during the third quarter worth $36,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of United Airlines during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 108.6% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 753 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

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.