tru Independence LLC Decreases Position in United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL)

tru Independence LLC reduced its stake in United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) by 47.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 59,764 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 54,545 shares during the period. United Airlines accounts for about 1.8% of tru Independence LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest position. tru Independence LLC’s holdings in United Airlines were worth $5,803,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Winch Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake 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 worth $30,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in United Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in United Airlines by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 710 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

United Airlines Price Performance

United Airlines stock opened at $104.84 on Monday. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $37.02 and a 52-week high of $116.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $99.39 and a 200-day moving average of $71.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.88, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

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

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

Insider Transactions at United Airlines

In other United Airlines news, EVP Kate Gebo sold 17,500 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.44, for a total value of $1,407,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of United Airlines stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total transaction of $5,707,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 63,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This represents a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Dbs Bank raised United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Melius Research upgraded shares of United Airlines to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (up previously from $120.00) on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on United Airlines from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price target on United Airlines from $85.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $110.20.

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.