Stock Market Today, March 2: American Airlines Drops as Oil Prices Surge on Middle East Tensions

2026-03-02 17:57:01 ET

American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) , provider of scheduled air transportation services for both passengers and cargo, closed at $12.52, down 4.21%. Shares declined as Middle East-related flight disruptions and a sharp rise in oil prices pressured airline stocks. Investors are also watching the impact of sustained fuel cost inflation and demand weakness on future quarters.
Trading volume reached 86.7 million shares, coming in about 52% above its three-month average of 56.9 million shares. American Airlines Group IPO'd in 2005 and has fallen 35% since going public.

S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) inched up 0.04% to 6,882, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) gained 0.36% to finish at 22,749. Among airlines, industry peers Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) closed at $64.25 (-2.21%) and United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) finished at $103.21 (-2.91%) as travel names also reacted to geopolitical tensions and fuel-cost worries.

Airline stocks plunged after developments in the Middle East this past weekend. Missile strikes in the region closed airspace, disrupted flights, and sent oil and jet fuel prices sharply higher. That’s a major input cost that has investors fretting about margin impacts.

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