United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Barclays

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) was upgraded by analysts at Barclays to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday, Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on United Airlines from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on United Airlines from $69.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Airlines presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.32.

United Airlines Price Performance

United Airlines stock opened at $64.05 on Monday. United Airlines has a 52-week low of $33.68 and a 52-week high of $65.02. The company’s 50 day moving average is $49.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.17. 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 firm has a market cap of $21.06 billion, a PE ratio of 7.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.44.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $3.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.23. United Airlines had a return on equity of 33.90% and a net margin of 5.28%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that United Airlines will post 9.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Institutional Trading of United Airlines

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of UAL. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in United Airlines by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,502,761 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $885,912,000 after purchasing an additional 429,501 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in United Airlines by 29.1% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,601,425 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $272,559,000 after acquiring an additional 1,263,604 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in United Airlines by 489.2% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,295,246 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $111,687,000 after acquiring an additional 1,905,664 shares during the period. Interval Partners LP acquired a new position in United Airlines in the 1st quarter valued at $103,354,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in United Airlines by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,161,931 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $55,634,000 after acquiring an additional 64,542 shares during 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.