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Alaska Air (ALK) Q2 Earnings Top Estimates, Revenues Lag
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Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 earnings per share (EPS) of $2.55, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.36. Earnings decreased 15% on a year-over-year basis.
Operating revenues of $2.89 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.94 billion. The top line jumped 2% year over year, with passenger revenues accounting for 91.5% of the top line and increasing 2% owing to continued recovery in air-travel demand.
Passenger revenues totaled $2.651 billion in the reported quarter. On a year-over-year basis, cargo and other revenues of $72 million grew 3% year over year. Mileage plan other revenues increased 2% to $174 million.
Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Total revenue per available seat mile (a key measure of unit revenues) grew 4% year over year to 14.51 cents. Yield increased 1% to 16 cents.
Reflecting the uptick in air-travel demand, consolidated traffic (measured in revenue passenger miles) increased 2% to 15.30 billion. To cater to this increased demand, capacity (measured in average seat miles) grew 6% to 18.19 billion. As traffic failed to outpace capacity expansion, the consolidated load factor (percentage of seat occupancy) fell 2.9 percentage points to 84.1%.
In the second quarter, total operating expenses (on a reported basis) increased 3% year over year to $2.575 billion.
Economic fuel price per gallon grew 3% to $2.84.
Consolidated operating costs per available seat mile (excluding fuel and special items) fell 2% year over year to 9.89 cents.
Liquidity
As of Jun 30, 2024, Alaska Air had $1.115 billion of cash and marketable securities compared with $2.278 billion at the prior-quarter end.
ALK exited the second quarter of 2024 with long-term debt (net of current portion) of $2.313 billion compared with $2.264 billion at the first-quarter end. Debt-to-capitalization ratio was 45%.
ALK utilized $580 million of cash in operating activities in the quarter under review. In the second quarter of 2024, ALK repurchased nearly 663,177 shares for $28 million.
Outlook
ALK anticipates third-quarter 2024 EPS between $1.40 and $1.60. In the same quarter, Alaska Air anticipates the economic fuel cost per gallon in the range of $2.85-$2.95. The company expects available seat miles (a measure of capacity) to increase in the range of 2-3% in the third quarter of 2024 from third-quarter 2023 actuals. CASM is expected to increase in high single digits. RASM is expected to remain flat to positive.
ALK now anticipates 2024 EPS between $3.50 and $4.50 (prior view: $3.25 and $5.25). Capacity (measured in available seat miles) for 2024 is now expected to increase less than 2.5% (prior view: less than 3%) from 2023 actuals.
Capital expenditures are expected to be between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion. Full year tax rate is anticipated to be around 25%.
Zacks Rank and Price Performance
Currently, ALK carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Over the past six months, shares of Alaska Air have gained 14.9% compared with the industry’s surge of 15.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Performances of Other Transportation Companies
Delta Air Lines (DAL - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 EPS (excluding 35 cents from non-recurring items) of $2.36, which marginally missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.37. Earnings decreased 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. Apart from high costs, the carrier blamed the discounting pressure at the low end of the market, which hurt its pricing power, for the disappointing performance.
Revenues of $16.65 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.25 billion and increased 6.9% year over year, driven by upbeat air travel demand. Adjusted operating revenues (excluding third-party refinery sales) came in at $15.41 billion, up 5.4% year over year.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT - Free Report) reported disappointing second-quarter 2024 results wherein both earnings and revenues lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
JBHT’s EPS of $1.32 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.51 and declined 27% year over year.
JBHT’s total operating revenues of $2.93 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.03 billion and fell 7% year over year. Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, fell 6% year over year.The downfall was owing to a 5% decrease in gross revenue per load in Intermodal (JBI) and a decline in load volume of 25% in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), 9% in Truckload (JBT), and 9% in Dedicated Contract Services (DCS). These were partially offset by the 5% revenue growth of Final Mile Services (FMS), primarily driven by new contracts implemented over the past year, and a 5% increase in revenue per load in ICS.
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 EPS (excluding 18 cents from non-recurring items) of $4.14, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.97. Earnings decreased 17.7% on a year-over-year basis.
Operating revenues of $14.98 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.13 billion. The top line increased 5.7% year over year due to upbeat air-travel demand. This was driven by a 5.2% rise in passenger revenues (which accounted for 91.2% of the top line) to $13.680 billion. Almost 44,375 passengers traveled on UAL flights in the second quarter, up 5.8% year over year.
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Alaska Air (ALK) Q2 Earnings Top Estimates, Revenues Lag
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 earnings per share (EPS) of $2.55, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.36. Earnings decreased 15% on a year-over-year basis.
Operating revenues of $2.89 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.94 billion. The top line jumped 2% year over year, with passenger revenues accounting for 91.5% of the top line and increasing 2% owing to continued recovery in air-travel demand.
Passenger revenues totaled $2.651 billion in the reported quarter. On a year-over-year basis, cargo and other revenues of $72 million grew 3% year over year. Mileage plan other revenues increased 2% to $174 million.
Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Alaska Air Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Alaska Air Group, Inc. Quote
Total revenue per available seat mile (a key measure of unit revenues) grew 4% year over year to 14.51 cents. Yield increased 1% to 16 cents.
Reflecting the uptick in air-travel demand, consolidated traffic (measured in revenue passenger miles) increased 2% to 15.30 billion. To cater to this increased demand, capacity (measured in average seat miles) grew 6% to 18.19 billion. As traffic failed to outpace capacity expansion, the consolidated load factor (percentage of seat occupancy) fell 2.9 percentage points to 84.1%.
In the second quarter, total operating expenses (on a reported basis) increased 3% year over year to $2.575 billion.
Economic fuel price per gallon grew 3% to $2.84.
Consolidated operating costs per available seat mile (excluding fuel and special items) fell 2% year over year to 9.89 cents.
Liquidity
As of Jun 30, 2024, Alaska Air had $1.115 billion of cash and marketable securities compared with $2.278 billion at the prior-quarter end.
ALK exited the second quarter of 2024 with long-term debt (net of current portion) of $2.313 billion compared with $2.264 billion at the first-quarter end. Debt-to-capitalization ratio was 45%.
ALK utilized $580 million of cash in operating activities in the quarter under review. In the second quarter of 2024, ALK repurchased nearly 663,177 shares for $28 million.
Outlook
ALK anticipates third-quarter 2024 EPS between $1.40 and $1.60. In the same quarter, Alaska Air anticipates the economic fuel cost per gallon in the range of $2.85-$2.95. The company expects available seat miles (a measure of capacity) to increase in the range of 2-3% in the third quarter of 2024 from third-quarter 2023 actuals. CASM is expected to increase in high single digits. RASM is expected to remain flat to positive.
ALK now anticipates 2024 EPS between $3.50 and $4.50 (prior view: $3.25 and $5.25). Capacity (measured in available seat miles) for 2024 is now expected to increase less than 2.5% (prior view: less than 3%) from 2023 actuals.
Capital expenditures are expected to be between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion. Full year tax rate is anticipated to be around 25%.
Zacks Rank and Price Performance
Currently, ALK carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Over the past six months, shares of Alaska Air have gained 14.9% compared with the industry’s surge of 15.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Performances of Other Transportation Companies
Delta Air Lines (DAL - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 EPS (excluding 35 cents from non-recurring items) of $2.36, which marginally missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.37. Earnings decreased 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. Apart from high costs, the carrier blamed the discounting pressure at the low end of the market, which hurt its pricing power, for the disappointing performance.
Revenues of $16.65 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.25 billion and increased 6.9% year over year, driven by upbeat air travel demand. Adjusted operating revenues (excluding third-party refinery sales) came in at $15.41 billion, up 5.4% year over year.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT - Free Report) reported disappointing second-quarter 2024 results wherein both earnings and revenues lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
JBHT’s EPS of $1.32 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.51 and declined 27% year over year.
JBHT’s total operating revenues of $2.93 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.03 billion and fell 7% year over year. Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, fell 6% year over year.The downfall was owing to a 5% decrease in gross revenue per load in Intermodal (JBI) and a decline in load volume of 25% in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), 9% in Truckload (JBT), and 9% in Dedicated Contract Services (DCS). These were partially offset by the 5% revenue growth of Final Mile Services (FMS), primarily driven by new contracts implemented over the past year, and a 5% increase in revenue per load in ICS.
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 EPS (excluding 18 cents from non-recurring items) of $4.14, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.97. Earnings decreased 17.7% on a year-over-year basis.
Operating revenues of $14.98 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.13 billion. The top line increased 5.7% year over year due to upbeat air-travel demand. This was driven by a 5.2% rise in passenger revenues (which accounted for 91.2% of the top line) to $13.680 billion. Almost 44,375 passengers traveled on UAL flights in the second quarter, up 5.8% year over year.