United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) shares are trading modestly higher in Friday’s premarket session, attempting to recover after a fall in the prior session driven by rising fuel cost concerns.
On Thursday, UAL stock declined nearly 6% as crude oil prices climbed to six-month highs, renewing investor worries around margin pressure across the airline industry.
Fuel remains one of the highest variable costs for carriers, and sustained strength in oil prices can weigh heavily on profitability despite improving travel demand.
However, sentiment appears to be stabilizing heading into Friday.
UAL Shows Long-Term Strength
The stock is currently trading 0.6% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) but is 5.9% above its 100-day SMA, demonstrating longer-term strength. Shares have increased 7.38% over the past 12 months and are currently positioned closer to their 52-week highs than lows.
The RSI is at 48.71, which is considered neutral territory. Meanwhile, MACD is at 0.8122, above its signal line at 0.5362, indicating bullish momentum for the stock. The combination of neutral RSI and bullish MACD suggests mixed momentum, indicating potential for upward movement.
- Key Resistance: $119.00
- Key Support: $100.50
UAL Financial Update and Analyst Optimism
United Airlines is slated to provide its next financial update on April 14, 2026.
- EPS Estimate: $1.33 (Up from 91 cents)
- Revenue Estimate: $14.14 Billion (Up from $13.21 Billion)
- Valuation: P/E of 10.8x (Indicates value opportunity)
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $135.71. Recent analyst moves include:
- TD Cowen: Buy (Raises Target to $140.00) (Jan. 22)
- UBS: Buy (Raises Target to $147.00) (Jan. 22)
- Argus Research: Buy (Lowers Target to $135.00) (Jan. 22)
UAL Scores High on Benzinga Edge Rankings
Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for United Airlines, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:
- Value: Strong (Score: 80.34) — Indicates solid valuation relative to peers.
- Growth: Strong (Score: 97.68) — Reflects robust growth potential.
- Momentum: Neutral (Score: 62.47) — Suggests moderate performance trends.
The Verdict: United Airlines’ Benzinga Edge signal reveals a strong growth outlook with solid value metrics. However, the neutral momentum score indicates that while the stock is performing well, traders should remain cautious of potential volatility.
UAL’s Significant ETF Exposure
- Themes Airlines ETF (NASDAQ:AIRL): 5.42% Weight
- iShares US Transportation ETF (BATS:IYT): 4.27% Weight
- Invesco Leisure and Entertainment ETF (NYSE:PEJ): 5.45% Weight
Significance: Because UAL carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.
UAL Price Action: United Airlines Holdings shares were up 0.07% at $110.13 during premarket trading on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo by Vytautas Kielaitis via Shutterstock
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