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Alaska Airlines warns of slower demand as second-quarter profit outlook falls short
ALKAlaska Air(ALK) CNBC·2025-04-23 21:26

Core Viewpoint - Alaska Airlines has warned of a decline in earnings for the second quarter due to softer travel demand, reflecting a broader trend among airlines experiencing weaker-than-expected bookings [1][2]. Group 1: Earnings Forecast and Performance - The company forecasts a 6-percentage point headwind in unit revenue due to softer demand, expecting second-quarter unit revenue to be flat to down as much as 6% year-over-year [1]. - Adjusted per-share earnings are anticipated to be between 1.15and1.15 and 1.65, significantly lower than the 2.47pershareforecastedbyWallStreetanalysts[1].Inthefirstquarter,AlaskaAirlinesreportedanetlossof2.47 per share forecasted by Wall Street analysts [1]. - In the first quarter, Alaska Airlines reported a net loss of 166 million, an increase from a loss of 132millionayearago,withrevenueexceeding132 million a year ago, with revenue exceeding 3.1 billion, up 41% year-over-year but below analysts' expectations [3][5]. Group 2: Revenue and Market Conditions - The airline's unit revenue rose by 5% in the first quarter compared to the previous year, outperforming larger rivals in domestic unit sales [2]. - Despite the economic uncertainty, the company expects to remain profitable even if revenue faces pressure in the second half of the year [2]. - The CFO noted that while customers are still booking trips, they are doing so at lower-than-expected fares, indicating a shift in market dynamics [2][3]. Group 3: Adjusted Loss and Analyst Expectations - Adjusting for one-time items, Alaska reported a loss of 77 cents per share for the three months ended March 31, which was below analysts' estimates of a 75 cents loss [4][5]. - Revenue for the first quarter was reported at 3.14billion,slightlybelowtheexpected3.14 billion, slightly below the expected 3.17 billion [5].