Susquehanna Issues Positive Forecast for United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Stock Price

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) had its price target upped by Susquehanna from $85.00 to $120.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “positive” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Susquehanna’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 21.32% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on UAL. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of United Airlines from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Melius Research raised United Airlines to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. UBS Group upped their target price on United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on United Airlines from $88.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of United Airlines from $70.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, United Airlines presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $104.68.

United Airlines Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:UAL traded up $0.34 on Tuesday, reaching $98.91. The company had a trading volume of 723,349 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,787,184. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.93, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.44. 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 52-week low of $37.02 and a 52-week high of $105.09. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $93.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.78.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $3.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by $0.23. United Airlines had a net margin of 4.94% and a return on equity of 30.72%. The business had revenue of $14.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that United Airlines will post 10.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Airlines declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase 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 typically an indication that the company’s management 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 business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 63,599 shares in the company, valued at $6,049,536.88. The trade was a 48.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Torbjorn J. Enqvist sold 14,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.00, for a total value of $1,044,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 30,427 shares in the company, valued at $2,190,744. This trade represents a 32.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 92,000 shares of company stock valued at $8,158,900. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UAL. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in United Airlines by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,321 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Airlines by 13.0% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,647 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Commerce Bank lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 1.1% in the third quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 17,620 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,005,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 31.4% in the third quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 930 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wahed Invest LLC raised its stake in United Airlines by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wahed Invest LLC now owns 1,998 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.