Airline company Alaska Air Group, Inc. ALK will release first-quarter financial results before the market opens on Thursday, April 18.
Here are the key earnings estimates and things to watch.
Earnings estimates: Analysts estimate Alaska Air will post first-quarter revenue of $2.19 billion, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
The company reported revenue of $2.196 billion in the first quarter of last year. Alaska Air has beaten analysts’ revenue estimates in three of the last five quarters.
Analysts expect the company to report a loss of $1.05 per share in the first quarter, compared to a loss of 62 cents per share in the first quarter last year. The company has missed analysts’ estimates for earnings per share in three of the last five quarters.
The company’s guidance previously said it expected to achieve earnings per share of $3 to $5 for the full 2024 fiscal year.
Related link: Compensation package: Boeing assists Alaska Air with $160 million amid crisis
Key things to look out for: Alaska Air is among the airlines affected by safety problems of planes produced by Boeing Co BA.
On a January 5 flight on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines, a door strike occurred and an emergency landing was required. Alaska Airlines was forced to ground its Boeing planes for inspection.
As part of its fourth-quarter earnings, Alaska Air said it has completed final inspections of all of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes and will return to service soon.
In December, Alaska Air announced a merger with Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. HAS. The merger deal is now under further investigation as a group of passengers, which includes former travel agents, filed a lawsuit on Monday. The lawsuit claims the merger could harm competition in air travel.
“The current trend toward concentration, decreased competition, and the tendency to create a monopoly in the airline industry is unparalleled, unparalleled, and dangerous,” the lawsuit reads, as shared by CNBC.
The merger is currently under antitrust review by the US Department of Justice. The Justice Department recently blocked a $3.8 billion merger JetBlue AND Spirit Airlineswhich saw the companies cancel the planned combination.
An update on the timeline and any comments on the new lawsuit is something to keep an eye on in the first quarter financial report.
On Wednesday morning, Alaska Airlines encountered a problem while updating its system that calculates weight and balance. The airline’s flights were suspended while it worked to resolve the issue.
Alaska Air’s earnings report comes after peers Delta Air Lines, Inc. FROM THE AND United Airlines Holdings Inc UAL reported quarterly results. Both airlines reported better-than-expected numbers and saw stocks rise.
Earlier this week, United Airlines reported earnings per share and revenue, both of which beat Street estimates. The company also expressed confidence in Boeing planes, adding that grounding the planes cost it about $200 million.
Investors may be looking for the updated financial impact for Alaska Air, with the airline previously saying it expected a $150 million negative impact from the grounding.
ALK Price Action: Alaska Air shares were up 3.31% at $42.15 on Wednesday at the time of publication compared to a 52-week trading range of $30.75 to $57.17. Alaska Air shares are up 7.1% year-to-date in 2024.
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Photo: Chad Slattery, courtesy of Alaska Air