Business
United Airlines could hit record earnings after strong start to 2026
A United Airlines airplane at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Nov. 6, 2025.
Brandon Bell | Getty Images
United Airlines on Tuesday said it could generate record earnings this year thanks to strong travel demand, with sales of premium seats, business travel and no-frills tickets robust in recent weeks.
The carrier expects adjusted earnings per share of between $12 and $14 this year, in line with the $13.16 analysts expected. For the first quarter, United forecast per-share earnings of $1 to $1.50, while analysts had estimated $1.13 a share.
United joined its rival Delta Air Lines in forecasting potential record earnings for the year. The two carriers accounted for almost all of the U.S. airline industry’s profit in the first nine months of 2025. Other airlines are set to report later this month.
United’s unit revenue fell 1.6% in the fourth quarter compared with last year. Still, United said premium revenue rose 9% in the fourth quarter and 11% for the full year over 2024. Restrictive basic-economy ticket sales, which compete with discount airlines, were up 7% in the last three months of 2025.
Most airlines are chasing revenue from higher-priced tickets like first class, racing to add in fresh, new cabins that command a premium.
Here is what United Airlines reported for the quarter that ended Dec. 31 compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on estimates compiled by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $3.10 adjusted vs. $2.94 expected
- Revenue: $15.4 billion vs. $15.4 billion expected
The carrier’s fourth-quarter profit rose 6% from a year earlier to $1.04 billion, or $3.19 a share, while capacity rose 6.5% from the same period in 2024. Adjusting for one-time items, United posted earnings of $1.01 billion, or $3.10 a share.
United CEO Scott Kirby has expressed confidence in the airline’s growth plan, saying in an interview with CNBC last year that “customers are choosing us.”
The longest-ever government shutdown, in the fourth quarter, hit pretax United results by $250 million, the company said. Air traffic controller shortages sparked delays and dented bookings but travel recovered, airline executives said.
United reported adjusted, full-year 2025 earnings of $10.20 a share, up 8% year over year, after the carrier had previously lowered its forecast for the year. The airline also reported adjusted net income of $3.5 billion for the year, up 6% from a year earlier.
Snapchat’s parent Snap has settled a social media addiction lawsuit just days before the landmark case was due to go to trial in Los Angeles.
Terms of the deal were not announced as it was revealed by lawyers at a California Superior Court hearing, after which Snap told the BBC the parties were “pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner”.
Other defendants in the case include Instagram parent Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube, none of which have settled.
The plaintiff, a 19-year old woman identified by the initials K.G.M., alleged that the algorithmic design of the platforms left her addicted and affected her mental health.
In the absence of a settlement with the other parties, the trial is scheduled to go forward against the remaining three defendants, with jury selection due to begin on 27 January.
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, and until Tuesday’s settlement, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was also set to take the stand.
Meta, TikTok and Alphabet did not respond to BBC inquiries seeking reaction to the settlement.
Snap is still a defendant in other social media addiction cases that have been consolidated in the court.
The closely watched cases could challenge a legal theory that social media companies have used to shield themselves.
They have long argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 protects them from liability for what third parties post on their platforms.
But plaintiffs argue that the platforms are designed in a way that leaves users addicted through choices that affect their algorithms and notifications.
The social media companies have said the plaintiffs’ evidence falls short of proving that they are responsible for alleged harms such as depression and eating disorders.
MUMBAI: Uncertain political and economic environment, combined with weakness of the dollar and rising industrial demand for silver pushed gold and silver prices to record levels on Tuesday, both in the international and domestic markets.Gold broke above the Rs 1.5 lakh/10gm mark for the first time while silver traded above the Rs 3 lakh/kg mark, both all-time highs in domestic markets. In global markets, on New York Commodity exchange, gold breached the $4,700/ounce (Oz) mark for the first time while silver neared the $100/Oz mark as it traded above the $95 level.“Bullion prices are being driven purely by US President Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland,” said Avinash Gupta, vice-chairman of All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said the announcement of a new Fed chief could come as early as next week. “If that happens, interest rates may fall, fuelling a further surge in gold and silver prices,” Gupta said.
MUMBAI: The rupee weakened for a fifth consecutive session on Tuesday, closing at 90.98 to a dollar, down 7 paise from the previous session, after breaching the 91 mark and sliding to a one-month low intraday amid rising geopolitical tensions and sustained selling in domestic equity markets.The currency opened marginally weaker and slipped to 91.05 per dollar during the session, nearing its all-time low of 91.08, before recovering slightly. Over the past five sessions, the rupee has depreciated by about 1%, reflecting persistent dollar demand and a risk-averse global environment, though it avoided setting a fresh record low.
Sentiment was further weighed down by equity market weakness, with Indian stocks underperforming other emerging markets. While MSCI’s emerging-market index rose more than 30% last year, marking its strongest advance since 2017, domestic equities have lagged, adding pressure on the currency.Dollar sales around the 91 level helped pull the rupee back from near-record lows, with market movements indicating efforts to prevent a breach of the all-time low. Similar support was evident in earlier sessions, which limited the extent of depreciation despite continued outflow pressure.“The rupee traded flat near 90.90 level as geopolitical tensions among Nato members and uncertainty around US interests in Greenland, driven by its rare-earth resources, kept market sentiment cautious,” said Jateen Trivedi, VP LKP Securities.Global uncertainty, including renewed geopolitical and trade tensions involving the US and Europe, also contributed to pressure on the rupee.
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