United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price target boosted by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $88.00 to $130.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 35.46% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Melius Research upgraded United Airlines to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of United Airlines from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Bank of America lifted their price target 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, TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $98.95.

United Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of United Airlines stock opened at $95.97 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.44. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $82.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95. United Airlines has a 12 month low of $37.02 and a 12 month high of $105.09.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $3.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.23. United Airlines had a return on equity of 30.72% and a net margin of 4.94%. The company had revenue of $14.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that United Airlines will post 10.23 EPS for the current year.

United Airlines announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, October 15th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the transportation company to reacquire up to 7.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This trade represents a 48.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kate Gebo sold 17,500 shares of the firm’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 in the company, 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. Insiders sold a total of 92,000 shares of company stock worth $8,158,900 over the last quarter. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UAL. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of United Airlines in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of United Airlines in the second quarter worth about $30,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in shares of United Airlines by 59.7% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 682 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the period. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Airlines in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 3,504.8% in the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 757 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.