Another Insider Sells United Airlines Stock

On Aug. 14, 2025, United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:UAL) Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations Kate Gebo reported the sale of 36,296 shares of the company in multiple open-market transactions on Aug. 12, 2025, totaling approximately $3.5 million.

Transaction summary

Transaction value is based on the SEC Form 4 reported price of $97.63. post-transaction value based on Aug. 12, 2025 market close price of $98.47.”

Key questions

How significant was the transaction relative to Gebo's recent trading history?
The sale of 36,296 shares is slightly above Gebo's median sell size of 35,000 shares since April 18, 2024. The Aug. 12 transactions represented 24.05% of her holdings at the time, exceeding her recent median of 18.83% per sale.

What do post-transaction holdings indicate about remaining ownership?
After the sale, Gebo retains 114,602 shares, valued at approximately $11.3 million as of Aug. 12, 2025, based on the closing share price that day. This represents about 0.04% of United Airlines Holdings' outstanding shares as of the Aug. 14, 2025, SEC filing.

How does the sale align with the company's recent share price performance?
The transaction occurred at a share price of $97.63, following a period when United Airlines Holdings delivered a 137.5% total return in the 12 months prior.

Does the pattern of recent sales reflect available capacity or a shift in trading approach?
The increased proportion of holdings sold in this transaction is explained by Gebo's reduced base of available shares, following prior sales that have cumulatively reduced her holdings by 46.9% since April 2024. As such, the larger percentages per transaction are a function of diminished remaining capacity rather than a discretionary change in trading strategy.

Company overview

* 1-year price change calculated using Aug. 12, 2025, as the reference date.

Company snapshot

• Provides passenger and cargo air transportation services, as well as ancillary offerings such as catering, ground handling, training, and maintenance for third parties.
• Generates revenue primarily through ticket sales, cargo transport, and service contracts, leveraging a global route network and diversified fleet.
• Serves individual travelers and freight customers throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America.

United Airlines Holdings operates as a leading global airline, with a broad international footprint and a comprehensive service portfolio. Its competitive edge lies in its diversified offerings and ability to serve a wide range of markets through both mainline and regional fleets.

Foolish take

United Airlines Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations Kate Gebo recently sold shares worth about $3.5 million, leaving her and her spouse holding a total of 114,602 shares worth about $11.8 million at the time of this writing. This sale came a few days after board member Barney Harford also sold a significant amount of stock.

It also came a couple of weeks after United Airlines' flight attendants overwhelmingly rejected a new labor deal. A new round of contract negotiations has been scheduled to get underway in December.

If you believe in reading in the tea leaves of insider trades, then these developments could easily be put together to form a negative narrative, not least as growth expectations have already been pared back across the airline industry this year due to the uncertainty created by President Donald Trump's tariffs.

That said, United is one of the better-placed airlines, and the industry appears to be acting in a disciplined manner by cutting back on capacity as demand for tickets wanes. United's loyalty programs and co-branded credit cards continue to engender customer engagement and generate income. As such, this airline is better able to cushion itself from the blows of rising airport fees and taxes than low-cost carriers are, making it one of the best stocks to buy in the sector.

Glossary

Insider transaction: The buying or selling of a company's securities by its executives, directors, or significant shareholders.
Open-market transaction: A trade executed on a public exchange, rather than through private arrangements or company programs.
Form 4: A required SEC filing that discloses insider trades of company stock by officers, directors, or major shareholders.
Median sell size: The middle value of share amounts sold in a series of insider transactions, used to measure typical sale size.
Outstanding shares: The total number of a company's shares currently held by all shareholders, including insiders and the public.
Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.
Material equity exposure: A significant ownership stake in a company, often used to indicate meaningful alignment with shareholder interests.
Ancillary offerings: Additional services provided by a company beyond its core business, such as catering or maintenance.
Regional fleet: Aircraft operated on shorter routes, often by partner airlines, to serve smaller markets.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

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Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.