Sanford C. Bernstein Raises United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Price Target to $85.00

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price objective hoisted by Sanford C. Bernstein from $68.00 to $85.00 in a research note published on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the transportation company’s stock.

UAL has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on United Airlines from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price objective on United Airlines from $66.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America increased their target price on United Airlines from $70.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of United Airlines from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on United Airlines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.51.

United Airlines Stock Performance

UAL opened at $74.15 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $51.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.44. United Airlines has a 12-month low of $33.68 and a 12-month high of $74.95.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $3.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by $0.23. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.28% and a return on equity of 33.90%. The business had revenue of $14.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that United Airlines will post 9.88 earnings per share for the current year.

United Airlines announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, October 15th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the transportation company to reacquire up to 7.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Airlines

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of United Airlines by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 5,671 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the period. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in United Airlines during the fourth quarter worth about $300,000. Moody National Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 1st quarter valued at about $227,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 54.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,698 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 956 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in United Airlines in the 1st quarter worth approximately $44,000. 69.69% of the stock is owned by 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.