Candlestick Capital Management LP Grows Stake in United Airlines Holdings Inc $UAL

Candlestick Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) by 38.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,239,037 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 624,752 shares during the period. United Airlines comprises approximately 5.2% of Candlestick Capital Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Candlestick Capital Management LP’s holdings in United Airlines were worth $216,067,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Apella Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 36,617 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,595,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp grew its position in United Airlines by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 669 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. grew its position in United Airlines by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 15,465 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,231,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Advisor OS LLC increased its stake in United Airlines by 3.4% in the third quarter. Advisor OS LLC now owns 3,723 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Finally, MAI Capital Management lifted its position in shares of United Airlines by 7.1% during the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 1,972 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $190,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. 69.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of United Airlines stock opened at $86.60 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $28.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. United Airlines Holdings Inc has a 12 month low of $52.00 and a 12 month high of $119.21. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $108.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $104.32.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The transportation company reported $3.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.13. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The company had revenue of $15.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.26 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. United Airlines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.000-1.500 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.000-14.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Airlines Holdings Inc will post 12.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UAL shares. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of United Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $136.00 price objective on shares of United Airlines in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of United Airlines from $148.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen lowered shares of United Airlines from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.86.

Key Stories Impacting United Airlines

Here are the key news stories impacting United Airlines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains robust — United set a daily record for bookings, showing continued travel strength that supports revenue and load factors. United daily bookings record
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts still see upside — high street price targets and “buy” calls (e.g., a $138.56 target highlighted by 247WallSt and Jefferies maintaining buy despite trimming targets) frame the recent sell‑off as a buying opportunity for longer‑term investors. Wall Street $138.56 price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Index/market context is mixed — S&P futures show a modest rebound amid macro moves, which may limit broad market downside for airline stocks but won’t offset sector‑specific fuel pressure. S&P futures and macro context
• Neutral Sentiment: Nasdaq attention on United’s routes could boost visibility, but it’s unlikely to move near‑term margins given rising costs. Nasdaq index attention
• Negative Sentiment: Oil surge and geopolitical risk (Iran war) are the dominant negative — jet fuel costs spiking toward $100/bbl is being priced into airline equities and threatens margins. Sector technical levels are breaking as investors reprice risk. Oil surge/cliff edge for airlines
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cuts and downgrades—multiple firms trimmed price targets (Redburn to $110; Jefferies cut to $125) and at least one shop moved to “hold,” citing mounting fuel‑cost pressure, which adds downward pressure on the stock. Redburn PT cut to $110
• Negative Sentiment: Shares were volatile and recently fell faster than the market after the run of headlines about fuel and PT cuts; investors are weighing margin risk despite solid top‑line demand. Zacks on recent share decline
• Negative Sentiment: Higher airfares are showing up in consumer headlines; while demand holds, sticker shock and rising energy costs are expected to compress airline profits. Airfares and margin pressure

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other news, President Brett J. Hart sold 19,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $2,022,550.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 264,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,170,715.10. This trade represents a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

About United Airlines

United Airlines Holdings, Inc operates United Airlines, a major U.S. full-service passenger carrier providing scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. The company offers a comprehensive route network that covers domestic markets across the United States as well as extensive international service to Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific. United operates a mixed fleet of narrow- and wide-body aircraft on point-to-point and hub-and-spoke routes, and supports corporate and leisure travel through offerings such as premium cabins, basic economy, and ancillary services including baggage, seat selection and in-flight amenities.

In addition to passenger operations, United provides cargo services through United Cargo, handling freight, mail and specialized shipments.