JBLU - Why April Was a Miserable Month for Discount Airline Stocks
2024-05-02 09:40:29 ET
In the recently completed first quarter, travel demand held up surprisingly well, countering investor fears that rising inflation and energy prices would eat into big-ticket purchases like airfares. But cracks are forming in individual names.
Shares of Frontier Group Holdings (NASDAQ: ULCC) fell 25.5% in April, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence , and shares of Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) and JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) were down 23.5% and 11.1%, respectively, as investors focused in on challenges facing these individual companies.
Airline investors have gone on a wild ride in recent years. The pandemic sapped demand for air travel and caused airline stocks to plummet, but pent-up demand has led to crowded airports and sky-high profits in the years since. Recently, gains have been tempered by concerns about the health of the economy, but by and large, airlines forecasted solid demand and strong pricing heading into the all-important summer vacation season.
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Why April Was a Miserable Month for Discount Airline Stocks