United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) is a holding company that primarily through its subsidiary United Airlines Inc. carries both passengers and cargo. The company uses a hub and spoke system to transport passengers between destinations in the US as well as in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Pacific. United contracts with regional carriers under the United Express brand and with global airlines as a member of the Star Alliance.
In fiscal 2022, the company had net income of $737 million and revenue of $45 billion. United’s market cap is $18.0 billion.
United Airlines’ major individual shareholders are Oscar Munoz, J. Scott Kirby and Brett J. Hart, and its major institutional shareholders are Vanguard Group Inc., Primecap Management Co. and Capital International Investors.
Key things
- United Airlines (UAL) is an airline that transports passengers and cargo.
- United Airlines’ largest shareholders are institutional funds such as Vanguard, Primecap and Capital International Investors.
- Among individuals, the largest shareholders are company insiders such as CEO J. Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart.
Top 3 individual insider shareholders
Oscar Munoz
Oscar Munoz owns 241,336 shares of United Airlines which represents 0.05% of the outstanding shares. Munoz has been the company’s executive chairman since May 2020. He previously served as CEO from 2015 to 2020 and as president from 2015 to 2016. Prior to joining United, Munoz held executive leadership positions at CSX Corp. (CSX), a company providing rail and intermodal transportation. Munoz also serves on the boards of CBRE Group Inc. (CBRE) and Univision Holdings Inc. (UVN).
J. Scott Kirby
J. Scott Kirby holds 430,886 shares of United Airlines, representing 0.07% of the outstanding shares. Kirby was the company’s president from 2016 to 2020 and became CEO in May 2020. Prior to United, Kirby was president of American Airlines from 2013 to 2016 and president of US Airways from 2006 to 2013. He also serves as the Chairman of the Star Alliance Executive Board.
Brett J. Hart
Brett J. Hart holds 148,504 shares of United Airlines, representing 0.04% of the outstanding shares. Hart is president of United Airlines Holdings Inc., a position he has held since May 2020. Hart joined United in 2010 and was most recently executive vice president and chief administrative officer. In 2015, he served as interim CEO for 6 months. Hart oversees United Public advocacy strategy including the Government Affairs, Corporate Communications, Legal and Community Engagement teams, as well as the Corporate Real Estate team and other efforts. Hart is a member of the board of directors of AbbVie Inc. (ABBV).
“Insider” refers to persons in senior management positions and members of the board of directors, as well as persons or entities that own more than 10% of the company’s shares. In this context, it has nothing to do with insider trading.
Top 3 institutional shareholders
More than 750 13F filers held shares of United Airlines as of Q2 2023, according to Whale Wisdom. Five of them included United Airlines as 3% or more of their total portfolio. 68% of United Airlines shares are held by institutional shareholders.
Vanguard Group Inc.
Vanguard Group Inc. owns roughly 37.9 million shares of United Airlines, or 11.7% of all shares outstanding, based on the 13F filing for the period ending May 15, 2023. Vanguard is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company with approximately $7.6 trillion in global assets under management (AUM) as of March 31, 2023. Vanguard clients can invest in United Airlines stock through the firm’s Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE). United Airlines makes up 0.04% of Vanguard’s total portfolio.
Primecap Management Co.
Primecap Management owns 23.9 million shares of United Airlines, representing 7.4% of total shares outstanding, according to the company’s 13F filing for the period ending March 31, 2023. Primecap is an investment management company that manages US-focused equity portfolios for institutions and mutual funds. The company has discretionary AUM of about $114 billion. Primecap Odyssey Growth Fund owns shares of United Airlines. United makes up roughly 0.9% of the fund’s portfolio.
Capital International Investors
Capital International holds 20.4 million United Airlines shares as of March 31, 2023, representing about 6.2% of United’s outstanding shares. Capital International Investors is the investment arm of the Capital International Group with a total of $417 billion in AUM as of 2023. Among the company’s largest holdings are tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT), Meta(META) and Alphabet(GOOGLE). Her United shares are worth about $1.1 billion, or about 0.3% of her total portfolio.
Who are United’s biggest investors?
The biggest investors in United Airlines (UAL) stock are institutional funds such as Vanguard and BlackRock. Among individual shareholders, the largest investors are company insiders such as the CEO and president.
How do you invest in United Airlines (UAL)?
As a public company, retail investors can invest in United Airlines by purchasing UAL stock through their brokerage. You can also gain exposure by investing in a mutual fund that invests in UAL shares.
What is the carry-on size for United Airlines?
When flying on a United domestic flight, your carry-on bag is limited to 9 inches by 14 inches by 22 inches.
Bottom Line
United Airlines Holdings is a global passenger and cargo carrier. As a public company, its largest investors are mutual funds and other institutional investors, although some company insiders also hold significant stakes.