One other Transportation stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is SkyWest (SKYW) . The stock is up 0.1% year-to-date. The consensus estimate for SkyWest's current year EPS has increased 3.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Looking more specifically, International Seaways belongs to the Transportation - Shipping industry, which includes 36 individual stocks and currently sits at #68 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have ...

I have been exploring companies that are overlooked by the broader investment community, but which exhibit solid fundamentals, strong operational performance, and clear runway for value creation. These aren’t microcaps or speculative plays—I’m focused on real businesses that are proven operators, yet still trade underAnalyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or ...

Core Insights - The Zacks Transportation - Airline industry is facing challenges such as economic uncertainties, supply chain issues, high labor costs, and aircraft shortages, leading to a reduction in IATA's traffic and profit forecasts for 2025 [1][11]. Industry Forecast - IATA now projects a net profit of $36 billion for the airline industry in 2025, slightly down from the previous estimate of $36.6 billion, but still higher than the 2024 net profit of $32.4 billion [3][11]. - Total revenues are expected to reach $979 billion in 2025, with passenger revenues projected at a record $693 billion, which is 1.3% higher than 2024 but below the earlier forecast of $1 trillion [4][11]. - The number of passengers is expected to be 4.99 billion in 2025, a 4% increase from 2024, but lower than the previous estimate of 5.22 billion [4]. Revenue Breakdown - Passenger revenues are the primary driver for the 2025 projections, anticipated to be $693 billion, which is 1.6% above 2024 levels [5]. - Ancillary revenues are expected to increase by 6.7% compared to 2024 [5]. - Cargo revenues are projected to decline to $147 billion, a 4.7% year-over-year decrease, due to reduced GDP growth and lower demand [6]. Cost Projections - Total costs for 2025 are projected at $913 billion, which is 1% higher than 2024 but lower than the previous forecast of $940 billion, mainly due to reduced fuel costs [7]. - The average jet fuel cost is expected to decrease to $86 per barrel in 2025 from $99 per barrel in 2024, leading to a total fuel bill of $236 billion [7]. Aircraft Deliveries - A total of 1,692 aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2025, which is nearly 26% lower than previous estimates, with further downward revisions possible due to ongoing supply chain issues [8]. Regional Performance - North American carriers are projected to generate net profits of $12.7 billion in 2025, while European carriers are expected to see profits rise to $11.3 billion, driven by strong passenger demand [9]. - Net profits from Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa are expected to be $4.9 billion, $1.1 billion, $6.2 billion, and $0.2 billion, respectively [9]. Investment Opportunities - Companies such as Ryanair Holdings (RYAAY), Copa Holdings (CPA), and SkyWest (SKYW) are highlighted as potential investment opportunities due to their favorable earnings revisions and strong performance despite industry headwinds [2][11][12]. - Ryanair has a Zacks Rank 1 and has shown a 46.6% average earnings surprise over the past four quarters [15][16]. - Copa Holdings also holds a Zacks Rank 1 and has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with an average beat of 5.5% [18]. - SkyWest has a strong earnings surprise track record, surpassing estimates in each of the last four quarters with an average beat of 17.1% [20].

Core Viewpoint - The article compares American Airlines (AAL) and SkyWest (SKYW) to determine which airline presents a better investment opportunity amid current economic uncertainties and industry challenges [3][20]. Group 1: American Airlines (AAL) - AAL projected earnings per share for Q2 2025 to be between $0.50 and $1, but withdrew its 2025 financial guidance due to tariff-induced economic uncertainties [4]. - AAL reported a narrower-than-expected loss in Q1 2025, maintaining an earnings surprise record for the last four quarters, despite facing a slowdown in domestic air travel demand [5]. - AAL's long-term debt was $24.7 billion at the end of Q1 2025, resulting in a debt-to-capitalization ratio exceeding 100%, significantly higher than the sub-industry average of 70.4% [6]. - Labor costs increased by 9.2% year-over-year in Q1 2025, primarily due to a deal with pilots, negatively impacting AAL's profitability [8]. - Fuel expenses decreased by 13.2% to $2.6 billion in Q1 2025, with average fuel prices dropping from $2.86 to $2.48 per gallon, providing some cost relief [9]. Group 2: SkyWest (SKYW) - SKYW has a strong track record of meeting the requirements of major airline partners, leading to impressive revenues from flying agreements [12]. - The current production delays at Boeing have benefited SKYW by improving its pilot-staffing situation, as major airlines have slowed down pilot hiring [13]. - SKYW's board approved a $250 million increase to its share repurchase plan, indicating a shareholder-friendly approach and lower leverage compared to AAL [14]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SKYW's 2025 and 2026 sales implies year-over-year increases of 10.5% and 4.2%, respectively, with EPS estimates showing increases of 19.4% and 6.4% for the same periods [19]. Group 3: Comparative Analysis - AAL is facing headwinds from high debt and labor costs, while SKYW's focus on domestic routes and lower debt levels positions it more favorably amid tariff-induced uncertainties [21]. - The article concludes that SKYW appears to be a better investment choice than AAL at this time, with SKYW holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) compared to AAL's 5 (Strong Sell) [22].

Core Viewpoint - SkyWest (SKYW) has reached a significant support level and shows potential for investors from a technical perspective, having recently broken through the 20-day moving average, indicating a short-term bullish trend [1]. Technical Analysis - The 20-day simple moving average (SMA) is a popular trading tool that reflects a stock's price over a 20-day period, smoothing out short-term price trends and providing trend reversal signals [2]. - A stock's price above the 20-day moving average indicates a positive trend, while a price below suggests a downward trend [3]. Performance Metrics - SKYW shares have increased by 14.8% over the past four weeks, and the company holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating potential for continued growth [5]. - Positive earnings estimate revisions support the bullish outlook, with no estimates decreasing in the past two months and three estimates increasing, alongside a rise in the consensus estimate [5]. Investment Consideration - Given the important technical indicator and favorable earnings estimate revisions, SKYW should be considered for the watchlist by investors [6].

Group 1: Momentum Investing Overview - Momentum investing involves following a stock's recent trend, with the aim of buying high and selling higher, capitalizing on established price movements [1] - The Zacks Momentum Style Score helps define momentum characteristics, with SkyWest (SKYW) currently holding a Momentum Style Score of B [2] - Style Scores complement the Zacks Rank, which has a strong track record of outperforming the market; SkyWest has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [3] Group 2: SkyWest Performance Metrics - SkyWest shares have increased by 3.14% over the past week, outperforming the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry, which rose by 2.62% [5] - Over the past quarter, SkyWest shares have risen by 0.72%, and over the last year, they are up 34.03%, while the S&P 500 has moved -2.55% and 11.45%, respectively [6] - The average 20-day trading volume for SkyWest is 325,085 shares, indicating a bullish sign if the stock is rising with above-average volume [7] Group 3: Earnings Outlook - In the past two months, three earnings estimates for SkyWest have increased, raising the consensus estimate from $9.01 to $9.28 [9] - For the next fiscal year, two estimates have moved upwards with no downward revisions during the same period [9] Group 4: Conclusion - Given the positive performance metrics and earnings outlook, SkyWest is positioned as a 2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B, making it a potential pick for near-term gains [11]

Company Overview - SkyWest (SKYW) is currently ranked 2 (Buy) in the Zacks Rank system, indicating a positive outlook based on earnings estimates and revisions [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SKYW's full-year earnings has increased by 3.1% over the past quarter, reflecting improving analyst sentiment [3] Performance Analysis - Year-to-date, SkyWest has returned approximately 0.5%, outperforming the average loss of 5.7% in the Transportation sector [4] - In comparison, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) has returned 8% since the beginning of the year, also outperforming the sector [4] - Within the Transportation - Airline industry, which includes 29 stocks, SkyWest is performing better than the average loss of 9% this year [5] Industry Context - The Transportation sector consists of 124 individual stocks, with SkyWest being one of them, and the sector is currently ranked 15 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry, which includes Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies, is ranked 68 and has seen a year-to-date increase of 5.5% [6]

Core Viewpoint - SkyWest (SKYW) is experiencing strong demand and operational efficiency, enhancing its prospects and share performance, making it an attractive investment opportunity [1] Upsides for SkyWest - Earnings estimates for SkyWest have been revised upward by 3.14% for the current quarter and by 3% for 2025, indicating broker confidence in the stock [2] - The company's shares have increased by 33.9% over the past year, outperforming the Zacks Transportation – Airline industry's growth of 14.9% [3] - SkyWest has a positive earnings surprise history, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters with an average surprise of 17.3% [4] - The company holds a solid Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4] Growth Factors - SkyWest is set to operate a total of 278 E175 aircraft by the end of 2026, with 16 additional units scheduled for delivery, highlighting the E175's importance in its fleet strategy [5] - In Q1 2025, SkyWest reported a 21.5% increase in total block hours, a 19.1% rise in departures, and a 13.6% increase in passengers carried, demonstrating strong demand [6] - The airline maintained a 99.9% adjusted flight completion rate and improved raw flight completion to 98.2%, reflecting operational reliability [6] Financial Position - SkyWest increased its share repurchase plan by $250 million in May 2025, raising total authorization to $272 million [7] - In Q1 2025, the company repurchased 141,000 shares for $13.7 million at an average price of $97.27 per share, up from 47,000 shares in Q4 2024 [9] - As of March 31, 2025, SkyWest had $34 million remaining under its current share repurchase program [9]

Core Viewpoint - SkyWest (SKYW) has shown strong stock performance recently, with a +21.5% return over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500 composite's +9.9% and the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry's +21.8% [1] Earnings Estimate Revisions - SkyWest is expected to post earnings of $2.30 per share for the current quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +26.4% [4] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year is $9.28, indicating a +19.4% change from the previous year [4] - For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate is $9.89, showing a +6.6% increase from the prior year [5] - The Zacks Rank for SkyWest is 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on recent changes in earnings estimates [6] Projected Revenue Growth - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $977.68 million, representing a year-over-year increase of +12.8% [10] - For the current fiscal year, the revenue estimate is $3.9 billion, indicating a +10.5% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate is $4.06 billion, reflecting a +4.2% change [10] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - SkyWest reported revenues of $948.46 million in the last quarter, a year-over-year increase of +18% [11] - The EPS for the same period was $2.42, compared to $1.45 a year ago, with a surprise of +18.63% over the consensus estimate [11][12] Valuation - SkyWest is graded A on the Zacks Value Style Score, indicating it is trading at a discount compared to its peers [16]

Group 1 - SkyWest (SKYW) has reached a significant support level and is considered a good investment pick from a technical perspective, having recently broken through the 200-day moving average, indicating a long-term bullish trend [1] - Over the past four weeks, SKYW has gained 7.5%, and it is currently ranked a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting potential for further upward movement [2] - Positive earnings estimate revisions support the bullish case for SKYW, with no estimates decreasing in the past two months and three estimates increasing, alongside a rise in the consensus estimate [3]