ZACKSยท2025-10-28 00:26Core Insights - American Airlines and Ford Motor exceeded Q3 expectations, making them attractive investment options as both stocks are trading under $15 per share [1][2] American Airlines - Q3 net income was a narrower-than-expected loss of $114 million, or -$0.17 per share, compared to expectations of -$0.27 per share [3] - Operating income surged 70% year-over-year to $151 million, with Q3 sales reaching $13.69 billion, surpassing estimates of $13.62 billion [4] - Full-year adjusted EPS guidance was raised to between $0.65-$0.95, significantly above the previous expectation of $0.33 per share, with projected free cash flow exceeding $1 billion [5] Ford Motor - Ford reported record Q3 sales of $47.18 billion, up over 9% from $43.06 billion a year ago, and exceeded estimates by 10% [6] - EPS of $0.45 decreased from $0.49 in the prior year, but net income rose to $2.4 billion from $1.6 billion in Q3 2024, exceeding EPS expectations of $0.38 [7] - Full-year adjusted EBIT guidance was lowered to $6-$6.5 billion from $10-$10.5 billion due to disruptions at a key supplier's aluminum plant, and free cash flow forecast was trimmed to $2-$3 billion [8] Performance & Valuation Comparison - American Airlines' stock is down over 20% in 2025, while Ford shares are up over 30% year-to-date, with Ford gaining 70% over the last five years compared to American Airlines' 20% [9] - Both stocks trade under the preferred level of less than 2X forward sales, with Ford's forward earnings multiple at 12X, a slight discount to its peers, while American Airlines trades at 41X forward earnings, an elevated premium [10][11] Strategic Thoughts - Ford's price performance suggests it is beneficial to add positions, especially on dips, due to attractive valuation [13] - American Airlines may begin to overcome its value trap perception, with potential for stock outperformance going forward [13][14]