United Airlines stock on track for best day in more than five months

United Airlines Holdings Inc. UAL, +10.70% stock rallied more than 11% Thursday after the airline reported first-quarter earnings late Wednesday and surprised investors by saying it expects to report a profit this year. The stock was on track to close at its highest since Nov. 9, when it closed at $52.81 and on pace for its largest one-day percentage increase on that date as well, when it rose 19.15%. The stock is up 12% this month, and 24% in the past 12 months. That compares with losses of around 1.7% for the S&P 500 index SPX, -0.44% for April and gains of around 7% for the last 12 months.