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UAL·United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

$106.75
-2.21 (-2.03%)
High
$109.80
Open
$109.58
Market Cap
35.65B
52W High
$138.77
Low
$106.50
P. Close
$106.75
P/E
10.20
52W Low
$84.64
Fwd P/E
7.39
DailyIQ Est.
$170.25
Inst. Ownership
3.1%
Short Interest
5.23%
Days to Cover
6.0
Technical Score (1D)
18
SELL
News Sentiment
41
BEARISH
Barclays has cut United Airlines’ price target to $160 from $175, citing a sharp rise in oil prices that is eroding short‑term margins. The rating remains Overweight, indicating that analysts still see long‑term revenue growth as a positive driver. The fuel‑cost headwind is viewed as temporary, not a structural shift, so the valuation dip is expected to be short‑lived. In the next 1–10 trading days, UAL’s valuation will likely stay pressured until oil prices ease or the airline can pass costs to customers. Watch for any change in the airline’s fuel‑hedging strategy or a shift in its cost‑control initiatives, as these could mitigate the margin squeeze. Also monitor oil price movements, as a decline could lift UAL’s earnings outlook and support the price target. Finally, keep an eye on any earnings guidance revisions that might reflect the impact of higher fuel costs on operating expenses.
Earnings Summary
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. operates as a global air carrier delivering passenger and cargo services across the United States, Canada, and international routes, supplemented by ancillary revenue from ground handling, flight training, and maintenance. As a major player in the airlines sector, United’s performance is closely tied to fuel costs, labor negotiations, and network expansion initiatives. In the most recent quarters, United posted EPS of $3.26 in Q4 2024, $0.91 in Q1 2025, $3.87 in Q2 2025, and $2.78 in Q3 2025, all beating analyst estimates and reflecting a pattern of consistent earnings outperformance; revenue trended upward from $14.7 bn in Q4 2024 to $15.2 bn in Q2 2025, with a slight dip to $15.3 bn in Q3 2025 and a modest decline to $15.4 bn in Q4 2025. The company has maintained a beat‑estimates streak in 3 of the last 4 quarters, with EPS growth accelerating in Q2 2025 before moderating in Q3 and Q4 2025. Historically, United has shown a steady YoY revenue growth trajectory, with EPS consistently surpassing forecasts despite volatile fuel prices; the firm’s ability to maintain margin resilience amid cost pressures has been a recurring theme. Recent news highlights Barclays’ price target cut to $160 from $175, citing rising oil prices that are eroding short‑term margins, while also noting potential mitigation through fuel‑hedging strategies and cost‑control initiatives; the airline’s partnership with JetBlue to re‑enter JFK and its AI‑driven operational improvements are positioned as long‑term growth catalysts. Investors should watch for any revisions to earnings guidance that reflect the impact of higher fuel costs, monitor the effectiveness of United’s fuel‑hedging and cost‑control measures, and track the progress of its route network expansion and AI initiatives, as these factors will shape the airline’s near‑term profitability and valuation.

EPS

EstBeatMiss
$0.68$1.58$2.48$3.38$4.29Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26Q3'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q3'26$2.93 - -
Q2'26$1.89$1.99+5.0%
Q1'26$1.09$1.19+8.9%
Q4'25$2.97$3.10+4.5%
Q3'25$2.68$2.78+3.8%
Q2'25$3.81$3.87+1.5%

Revenue

EstBeatMiss
$13.9B$15.0B$16.1B$17.2B$18.3BQ2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26Q3'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q3'26$17.8B - -
Q2'26$17.8B$17.7B-0.7%
Q1'26$14.4B$14.6B+1.6%
Q4'25$15.5B$15.4B-1.0%
Q3'25 - $15.2B -
Q2'25 - $15.2B -

Market Data

UAL Stock Snapshot

SELL18/100
$106.75$2.21 (2.0%)
Market cap
35.65B
P/E ratio
10.2
Day range
$106.50 – $109.80
News sentiment
41/100 · Neutral
Analyst target
$158.54 (+48.5%)
Consensus
Buy · 32 analysts
52-week range+26.1% off low · -23.1% from high
$84.64$138.77
Price $106.75 DailyIQ Est. $170.25

The signals on UAL lean bearish, and the range position backs that up. The stock is liquid enough that positioning changes get absorbed without distorting the trend.

Reverse DCF

What growth is priced into UAL?

RICH

At today's price, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. needs to grow free cash flow about 12.7% a year for the next 10 years to justify its valuation at a 10.26% cost of capital. Over its actual history it has compounded free cash flow at 6.1% a year, so the market is asking for 6.5 percentage points above its own delivered rate. On that basis UAL looks priced above what its own growth record supports.

Implied FCF growth
12.7%
Historical FCF CAGR
6.1%
Growth gap
+6.5 pts
Verdict
RICH
Discount rate (WACC)
10.26%
Beta
1.68

Behaviour On Record

What UAL's own history says about today's numbers

Realized volatility (21d)
37.5% 41st pct
Below its peak
-20.4%
vs 200-day average
-0.3%
Up days (1y)
47%

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is currently running 37.5% annualised volatility over the last 21 sessions. Measured against UAL's own 8 years of daily returns rather than a market-wide average, that is the 41st percentile close to its own typical level, against a typical reading of 41.7%. The distinction matters because a number that looks calm for one stock is turbulent for another, and the absolute figure on its own tells you neither.

UAL is trading -20.4% below its running peak. Across 7 full years on file, its median worst-drawdown-in-a-year was -38.0%, and the deepest was -77.9% in 2020. The current pullback is therefore shallower than what this stock gives back in a typical year, which is context worth having before treating it as a dislocation.

Price sits -0.3% from its 200-day moving average. Against every other day in its history, that gap ranks at the 44th percentile close to the gap it normally carries. Over the past year UAL closed higher on 47% of sessions, and it is currently 1 session into a falling streak.

On September specifically: over 8 years of records, UAL finished the month higher 4 of 8 times, with a median return of -1.1% and an average of +0.9%. Its strongest month historically has been November at +9.6% on average, its weakest March at -10.5%. Seasonality is a weak signal on its own — a decade is a small sample and regimes change — but it is a real distribution rather than a rule of thumb.

Overnight risk is measurable too: UAL has opened more than 2% away from the prior close in 97 of 2,012 sessions (4.8% of the time), with the largest gaps running +9.6% and -9.7%. For anyone holding through an event, that rate is a better guide to overnight exposure than the intraday range.

Across the last 3 dated reports on file, UAL moved an average of 2.7% in the session after earnings, closing higher 1 of those 3 times, with a median move of -1.1% and a largest of -6.9%.

All figures computed from 2,013 daily closes between 2018-09-10 and 2026-09-14, split-adjusted, recomputed daily. Percentiles are against UAL's own 8-year history, not a peer group or index.

Sector Rotation

Is money rotating into or out of UAL's sector?

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. sits in the Industrials sector, currently ranked 11th of 11 GICS sectors by relative-strength rotation score (lagging).

Sector rank
#11 of 11
Sector state
Lagging
Sector rotation score
10

Options Market

What is the options market pricing for UAL?

CallsPuts

For United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s nearest expiry (2026-09-18, 3 days out), open interest is put-heavy, a defensive/bearish tilt (put/call ratio of 1.24), with at-the-money implied volatility around 78.9%. The options market is pricing roughly a ±5.8% move by that expiry — a range of about $100.55–$112.95.

Put/call ratio (2026-09-18)
1.24
ATM implied volatility
78.9%
Total open interest
60,784
Expected move by 2026-09-18
±5.8% ($100.55–$112.95)

Analyst Rating Changes

Are analysts turning bullish or bearish on UAL?

Barclays most recently reiterated its rating on United Airlines Holdings, Inc. to Overweight on Sep 11, 2026 with a price target of $160 (from $175). Over the last 90 days, coverage has run 0 upgrades against 0 downgrades, a net mixed lean.

Latest action
BarclaysOverweight
90-day upgrades
0
90-day downgrades
0
Net rating momentum
0
DateFirmActionRatingPrice target
Sep 11, 2026BarclaysMaintainedOverweight$175 → $160
Sep 10, 2026UBSMaintainedBuy$153 → $137
Aug 24, 2026TD CowenMaintainedBuy$205 → $192
Jul 17, 2026Morgan StanleyMaintainedOverweight$185 → $190
Jul 17, 2026JP MorganMaintainedOverweight$156 → $203
Jul 17, 2026SusquehannaMaintainedPositive$172 → $165
Jul 7, 2026SusquehannaMaintainedPositive$135 → $172
Jul 6, 2026Morgan StanleyMaintainedOverweight$182 → $185
Jul 2, 2026BMO CapitalMaintainedOutperform$130 → $158
Jul 2, 2026TD CowenMaintainedBuy$150 → $176
Jul 2, 2026Goldman SachsMaintainedBuy$131 → $162
Jul 1, 2026BernsteinMaintainedOutperform$136 → $153

UAL Competitive Positioning

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) is tracked alongside these names in Airlines on DailyIQ — ranked by market cap, with today's move alongside.