Bleakley Financial Group LLC Buys 17,499 Shares of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL)

Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) by 293.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 23,458 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,499 shares during the quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC’s holdings in United Airlines were worth $2,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UAL. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Airlines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 108.6% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 753 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of United Airlines by 31.4% during the 3rd quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 930 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.

United Airlines Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:UAL opened at $109.15 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $101.37 and a 200 day moving average of $74.71. The stock has a market cap of $35.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.43. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $37.02 and a 12 month high of $116.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The transportation company reported $3.26 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 business had revenue of $14.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that United Airlines Holdings, Inc. will post 13.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Airlines declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program 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 programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on shares of United Airlines from $75.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of United Airlines from $98.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Dbs Bank raised shares of United Airlines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of United Airlines in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $110.83.

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.