Heartland Bank & Trust Co Lowers Stake in United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL)

Heartland Bank & Trust Co cut its position in United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,738 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 226 shares during the period. Heartland Bank & Trust Co’s holdings in United Airlines were worth $460,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in United Airlines in the 4th quarter worth $1,081,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of United Airlines by 90.1% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 46,592 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,524,000 after purchasing an additional 22,080 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV bought a new stake in United Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $485,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in United Airlines by 25.0% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 941 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in United Airlines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $425,000. 69.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Kate Gebo sold 17,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.44, for a total transaction of $1,407,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 40,012 shares in the company, valued at $3,218,565.28. The trade was a 30.43 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 63,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This trade represents a 48.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on UAL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $108.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Melius Research upgraded United Airlines to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Bank of America increased their target price on United Airlines from $70.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Raymond James reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up previously from $120.00) on shares of United Airlines in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Airlines currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $110.20.

United Airlines Trading Up 1.9 %

UAL stock opened at $105.00 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $34.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.72. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $37.02 and a 12 month high of $116.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $99.39 and its 200 day moving average is $71.47.

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

United Airlines declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, October 15th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the transportation company to purchase up to 7.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.