Short Interest in United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) Decreases By 18.4%

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 14,810,000 shares, a decrease of 18.4% from the January 15th total of 18,140,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,640,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on UAL. Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target (up previously from $120.00) on shares of United Airlines in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of United Airlines from $142.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Dbs Bank raised United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on United Airlines from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Barclays boosted 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $113.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Airlines

In other news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 63,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This represents a 48.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Airlines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UAL. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of United Airlines by 79.5% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 13,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $776,000 after purchasing an additional 6,027 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in United Airlines in the third quarter worth about $344,000. Creative Planning boosted its stake in United Airlines by 16.5% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 132,807 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $7,578,000 after acquiring an additional 18,767 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its position in shares of United Airlines by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 5,928 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $338,000 after acquiring an additional 982 shares during the period. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in shares of United Airlines by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 7,527 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $429,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

United Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of United Airlines stock opened at $104.26 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $34.29 billion, a PE ratio of 11.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. United Airlines has a 52 week low of $37.02 and a 52 week high of $116.00. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $102.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $77.35.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.52% and a return on equity of 32.26%. The firm had revenue of $14.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.00 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that United Airlines will post 13.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.