United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, TD Cowen Analyst Says

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price target upped by TD Cowen from $142.00 to $165.00 in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. TD Cowen’s price target points to a potential upside of 57.14% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on UAL. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on United Airlines from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. 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. Barclays increased their price target on United Airlines from $75.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. UBS Group lifted their target price on United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $119.00 price target on shares of United Airlines in a report on Friday, November 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $110.20.

United Airlines Stock Performance

UAL stock opened at $105.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $34.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.44. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $99.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $71.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. United Airlines has a 12-month low of $37.02 and a 12-month high of $116.00.

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

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

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 63,599 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This represents a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 transaction 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 $3,218,565.28. The trade was a 30.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. 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 acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in United Airlines in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in United Airlines in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 108.6% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 753 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is currently 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.