Taking a quick look at the historical performance of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL) shares, we have noted that the stock price for the previous week is -4.37%. Looking back over the past month, company shares are -1.81%. For the past quarter, shares have performed -7.04%. Going further back to the beginning of the calendar year, company shares are 0.67%. If we scroll back to the full year reading, shares have performed -3.55%. Investors may be trying to decide if it is a good time to get into a particular stock, or whether to exit a position that has turned sour. Whatever the case, outperforming the market is on the minds of many dedicated equity market enthusiasts.

New investors may be looking at the soaring stock market and wondering if now is a good time to try and get in on the action. Leaping into the market without proper research or a solid plan may leave the investor on the short end of the stick. Creating a stock investing plan can be as simple or complex as the individual chooses. Sometimes, keeping things simple may be the best way to go. Other times, there may be more than meets the eye, and a deep-dive into the crucial data may be required. New investors may be extremely excited to start buying stocks. They may have heard some great water cooler talk about the next big stock. There is always a possibility that the hot stock chatter may end up coming to fruition, but it could just as likely turn out to be terribly erroneous. Many individuals in the financial world will be quick to provide these can’t lose picks, but until this information is thoroughly researched, investors may want to proceed with caution.

Shares of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL) have been recently spotted trading -13.86% off of the 52-week high price. On the other end, company shares have been noted 9.44% away from the low price over the last 52-weeks. Switching over to some distances from popular moving averages, we see that the stock has been recorded -1.67% away from the 200 day moving average. Moving closer, we can see that shares have been trading -4.39% off of the 20-day moving average. Investors may be closely following the current stock price in relation to moving averages. This may assist with figuring out if a breakout or reversal could be in the cards. Knowing when to ride the surge rather than stay on the sidelines, can be a difficult decision even for veteran investors.

Focusing on some other company information, we can see that United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL) has a beta of 1.18. Beta indicates the tendency of a stock’s returns to respond to market swings. A beta of 1 indicates that the stock price moves with the market. A beta under 1 indicates that the stock is less volatile than the market in theory. A beta value over one would indicate the opposite. In terms of volatility, shares have been noted at 3.09% for the week, and 2.18% for the past month. Investors often keep a close eye on any irregular stock volume. Traders and technical analysts have the ability to use volume to help measure the strength of a particular move. Investors may also view volume levels when the stock price is nearing significant support or resistance levels, in order to confirm a breakout in either direction.

We can now shift our focus to some alternate company data on shares of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UAL). The stock has a current ATR of 2.20. When applying indicators for technical analysis, traders and investors may choose to examine the ATR or average true range. The ATR measures the volatility of a stock on a day-to-day basis. The average true range is typically based on 14 periods and may be calculated daily, weekly, monthly, or intraday. The ATR is not considered a directional indicator, but it may reflect the strength of a particular move. As we move into the second half of the year, investors may be looking to jumpstart their portfolios. Many equity investors may be wondering if the stock markets will find renewed energy and continue higher, or if a major correction is on the horizon.

There are many factors that can affect the health of a company. This is one reason why stock trading can be extremely difficult at times. Because there are always so many things to take into consideration, it may be next to impossible to create a formula that will continually beat the market. Even after all the data has been scrutinized and the numbers have been crunched, the investor still has to make sense of the information and figure out what to do with it. Knowing how to use the information about publically traded companies can end up being the difference between handsome gains and devastating losses.