Over the past five trading days, headlines were dominated by the impressive October traffic data revealed by Latin American carrier, Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE:GOL–Free Report). However, the news on another Latin American company, Copa Holdings SA (NYSE:CPA–Free Report) was not so promising. The company delivered soft revenues in the third quarter though earnings came above expectations.

JetBlue Airways Corporation’s (Nasdaq:JBLU–Free Report) decision to charge its customers for checked baggage and squeeze seats in order to boost profit was another highlight of the period under consideration. Delta Airlines (NYSE:DAL–Free Report) was also in the news when it placed a $14 billion order to the Airbus Group for 50 widebody jets.

Major companies in the airline space such as American Airlines Group (Nasdaq:AAL–Free Report) and Delta Airlines have waived rebooking charges for customers booked on their flights for travel today (one of the busiest travel days historically) in anticipation of a storm targeting the East Coast. The storm, if it materializes will result in heavy snowfall in the area, spoiling travel plans on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day.

Overall, it was a mixed week for major airline stocks, with quite a few of them suffering losses over the last 5 trading days. However, the losses incurred were not half as drastic as the ones suffered by airline stocks throughout September and early October due to Ebola related worries.

In fact, airline stocks have rebounded nicely from the lean period aided by healthy earnings reports and weak oil prices (Read last to last week’s developments here: Airline Stock Roundup for Nov 19, 2014).

Recap of Most Important Stories of the Last Five Trading Days

1. Latin American company Copa Holdings delivered mixed results in the third quarter of 2014. While earnings (on an adjusted basis) surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, revenues missed expectations. The top line was hurt by lower passenger revenue yields. Capacity reductions in Venezuela also weighed on the results (read more: Copa Holdings Q3 Earnings Top, Revenues Lag; Shares Slide).

2. Another Latin American carrier Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. was also in the news in the period under consideration when it reported impressive traffic statistics for the month of October on the back of strong demand. Revenue passenger kilometers increased 8% from the comparable year-ago period (read more: GOL Impresses with Strong Oct 2014 Traffic Numbers).

3. JetBlue Airways has announced that it will add bag fees and squeeze seats. The decision, which is believed to have been taken in a bid to bolster revenues going forward, was announced at the company’s Investor Day. Post-JetBlue’s decision, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV–Free Report) is the only U.S.-based carrier to allow free check-in of a bag for all passengers (read more: JetBlue to Add Bag Fees, More Seats on Flights; Stock Rallies).

4. Delta Airlines has placed an order worth $14 billion to the Airbus Group for 50 widebody jets. Delta’s order comprises of 25 Airbus A350-900 aircraft and 25 advanced Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. The first A350 is expected to be delivered to Delta in the second quarter of 2017. A330neos will arrive in 2019 (read more:Delta Air Lines to Add Airbus A350-900 A330-900neo).

5. In order to enhance its in-flight entertainment offerings, United Airlines – the wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL–Free Report) – has introduced a new application called United app. The offering allows fliers to access a wide range of movies and television shows through Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices and laptops (read more: United Airlines App to Better In-Flight Entertainment Quotient).

6. American Airlines – the wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group– will launch its a new daytime daily flight from Philadelphia International Airport to London Heathrow Airport on May 29, 2015. The new service, aimed to boost trans-Atlantic travel, is the second American Airlines flight in the route.  Delta Airlines has also announced its plans to launch a new Philadelphia-London service on Apr 7 next year (read more:American Airlines to Start Second Philadelphia-London Flight).

Performance      

The following table shows the price movements of the major airline players over the past 5 trading days and during the last 6 months: 

As the chart above suggests, the share prices of quite a few major airline stocks were down over the past five trading sessions. Gol Linhas emerged as the biggest gainer among the major players in the airline industry, thanks to its strong October traffic data, with its share price rising 11.18%. Southwest Airlines witnessed the highest upside (48.86%) over the last six months compared to its peers.

Copa Holdings, which fell 7.13% during the 5-day period, was the biggest loser hurt by below-par third quarter results. The company also experienced the highest drop in share price (19.9%) over the last 6 months.

What’s Next in the Airline Biz?

Focus will remain on whether inclement weather will affect the lofty projections for the Thanksgiving holiday season. According to media reports, flight cancellations are on their way up due to the anticipated storm (Cato) in the northeastern states of the country.

With bad weather expected to play spoilsport as far as travel on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day is concerned, it would be interesting to see weather the forecast of trade organization, Airlines for America, holds true or not. The organization predicted that U.S. airlines will carry 1.5% more passengers in the Nov 21–Dec 2 period this year compared to last year.

Today, Zacks is promoting its ”Buy” stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks “Profit from the Pros” e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today.

About Zacks                                    

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros.  In short, it’s your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.
 
Get the full Report on GOL – FREE
Get the full Report on CPA – FREE
Get the full Report on JBLU – FREE
Get the full Report on DAL – FREE
Get the full Report on AAL – FREE
Get the full Report on LUV – FREE
Get the full Report on UAL – FREE
 
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
 
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
http://www.zacks.com

 
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The SP 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Read the analyst report on GOL

Read the analyst report on CPA

Read the analyst report on JBLU

Read the analyst report on DAL

Read the analyst report on AAL

Read the analyst report on LUV

Read the analyst report on UAL

Zacks Investment Research

• Investment Company Information
• Finance
• American Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• JetBlue Airways Corporation
• United Airlines

Uber Technologies Inc. investors
contend the car-booking service is worth as much as $40 billion
— more than Twitter (TWTR) Inc. and as much as Delta Airlines Inc.

While that’s a big valuation, it may be justified by the
size of the potential market and how richly other fast-growing
technology companies are being valued.

The five-year-old startup is close to raising a round of
financing that would value it between $35 billion and $40
billion, according to people familiar with the situation, who
asked not to be identified because the details are private.

If Uber completes the funding, it would more than double
its $17 billion value from a June financing round and top
companies such as Twitter Inc. or Hertz Global Holdings Inc.
Applying a price-sales multiple of 18 times to Uber’s valuation
— in line with Facebook Inc. and Twitter — would imply the
car-booking app was producing a little over $2 billion in
revenue, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“I don’t want to say it seems reasonable, but it makes
sense in the context of the greater market opportunity,” Sachin Shah, a special-situations and merger-arbitrage strategist at
Albert Fried Co., said in a phone interview. “Just think
about every car service, every taxi cab — not only in New York
City but every major metropolitan city, not only in the U.S. but
in the whole world. Can they generate $2 billion of business
potentially? The answer is it seems that way.”

Mega Financing

The funding talks show that investors’ appetite for growth
wasn’t affected by the fallout from remarks made last week by
Senior Vice President Emil Michael about prying into
journalists’ private lives.

“Uber has done a lot of ill-considered things, but I still
wish I were its investor,” said David Cowan, a partner at
Bessemer Venture Partners.

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. is in discussions to be a new
investor and existing investor Fidelity Investments is also set
to participate in the funding, the people said.

“At this valuation, investors appear to be thinking that
when Uber goes public, it might be worth $80 billion to $100
billion,” said Anand Sanwal, chief executive officer of CB
Insights, a research firm in New York. “This type of mega-financing affords Uber a great deal of flexibility in terms of
when they might go public.”

That would also put Uber at about 1.5 times the
capitalization of microblogging service Twitter and at the same
size as Salesforce.com Inc. and Kraft Foods Group Inc. It would
dwarf car-rental company Hertz, which has a market
capitalization of $11 billion.

“The justification for that valuation can be made given
the financial characteristics and the growth profile,” said
James Cakmak, an analyst at Monness Crespi Hardt Co. “I don’t
know of any other company that’s growing at that pace.”

Record Valuation

Uber is seeking to raise at least $1 billion, the people
said. The financing hasn’t closed and the terms and investor
group may still change, one of the people said. T. Rowe Price
previously considered investing in Uber and may still end up
passing this time, two of the people said. Representatives for
Uber, T. Rowe and Fidelity declined to comment yesterday.

Already in June, Uber’s valuation was a record for a U.S.
technology startup in a direct investment round. That put it at
the front of a pack of elite U.S. technology startups that are
valued in the 11-digit range, including Airbnb Inc. and Dropbox
Inc.

Right Price?

Aswath Damodaran, a New York University finance professor
who published four books on corporate valuation, wrote in June
that Uber was overpriced at $17 billion. Reached by e-mail today
he referred to those blog posts, which “said everything I want
to say” until more data on Uber’s operations become available.

In June, Damodaran valued Uber’s assets at $5.9 billion,
basing the figure on optimistic assumptions about the taxi
industry’s growth and the company’s market share and
profitability. His annual revenue projections were based on
assumptions of a $100 billion taxi market worldwide, a 6 percent
annual growth rate and an Uber market share of no more than 10
percent.

High valuations are spreading internationally. In China,
smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp. is in talks for a funding round
that would value it at $40 billion to $50 billion, people
familiar with the matter have said.

Uber is raising more money to finance its international
expansion, people close to the situation said earlier this
month. The company, founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp and CEO
Travis Kalanick, has rolled out its car-booking services to more
than 220 cities worldwide.

Uber has run into controversies during its fast expansion,
including roiling established taxi and limousine industries and
facing regulatory hurdles. Some drivers for the service have
also complained about the company’s commission structure.

Last week, Uber introduced a rewards program for drivers
and hired law firm Hogan Lovells to conduct an internal review
on its data-privacy policies.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Serena Saitto in New York at
ssaitto@bloomberg.net;
Sonali Basak in New York at
sbasak7@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Pui-Wing Tam at
ptam13@bloomberg.net
Reed Stevenson, Stephen West

Over the past five trading days, headlines were dominated by the impressive October traffic data revealed by Latin American carrier, Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL). However, the news on another Latin American company, Copa Holdings SA (CPA) was not so promising. The company delivered soft revenues in the third quarter though earnings came above expectations.

JetBlue Airways Corporation’s (JBLU) decision to charge its customers for checked baggage and squeeze seats in order to boost profit was another highlight of the period under consideration. Delta Airlines (DAL) was also in the news when it placed a $14 billion order to the Airbus Group for 50 widebody jets.

Major companies in the airline space such as American Airlines Group (AAL) and Delta Airlines have waived rebooking charges for customers booked on their flights for travel today (one of the busiest travel days historically) in anticipation of a storm targeting the East Coast. The storm, if it materializes will result in heavy snowfall in the area, spoiling travel plans on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day.

Overall, it was a mixed week for major airline stocks, with quite a few of them suffering losses over the last 5 trading days. However, the losses incurred were not half as drastic as the ones suffered by airline stocks throughout September and early October due to Ebola related worries.

In fact, airline stocks have rebounded nicely from the lean period aided by healthy earnings reports and weak oil prices (Read last to last week’s developments here: Airline Stock Roundup for Nov 19, 2014).

Recap of Most Important Stories of the Last Five Trading Days

1. Latin American company Copa Holdings delivered mixed results in the third quarter of 2014. While earnings (on an adjusted basis) surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, revenues missed expectations. The top line was hurt by lower passenger revenue yields. Capacity reductions in Venezuela also weighed on the results (read more: Copa Holdings Q3 Earnings Top, Revenues Lag; Shares Slide).

2. Another Latin American carrier Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. was also in the news in the period under consideration when it reported impressive traffic statistics for the month of October on the back of strong demand. Revenue passenger kilometers increased 8% from the comparable year-ago period (read more: GOL Impresses with Strong Oct 2014 Traffic Numbers).

3. JetBlue Airways has announced that it will add bag fees and squeeze seats. The decision, which is believed to have been taken in a bid to bolster revenues going forward, was announced at the company’s Investor Day. Post-JetBlue’s decision, Southwest Airlines (LUV) is the only U.S.-based carrier to allow free check-in of a bag for all passengers (read more: JetBlue to Add Bag Fees, More Seats on Flights; Stock Rallies).

4. Delta Airlines has placed an order worth $14 billion to the Airbus Group for 50 widebody jets. Delta’s order comprises of 25 Airbus A350-900 aircraft and 25 advanced Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. The first A350 is expected to be delivered to Delta in the second quarter of 2017. A330neos will arrive in 2019 (read more: Delta Air Lines to Add Airbus A350-900 A330-900neo).

5. In order to enhance its in-flight entertainment offerings, United Airlines – the wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) – has introduced a new application called United app. The offering allows fliers to access a wide range of movies and television shows through Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices and laptops (read more: United Airlines App to Better In-Flight Entertainment Quotient).

6. American Airlines – the wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group– will launch its a new daytime daily flight from Philadelphia International Airport to London Heathrow Airport on May 29, 2015. The new service, aimed to boost trans-Atlantic travel, is the second American Airlines flight in the route.  Delta Airlines has also announced its plans to launch a new Philadelphia-London service on Apr 7 next year (read more:American Airlines to Start Second Philadelphia-London Flight).

Performance      

The following table shows the price movements of the major airline players over the past 5 trading days and during the last 6 months:
 

As the chart above suggests, the share prices of quite a few major airline stocks were down over the past five trading sessions. Gol Linhas emerged as the biggest gainer among the major players in the airline industry, thanks to its strong October traffic data, with its share price rising 11.18%. Southwest Airlines witnessed the highest upside (48.86%) over the last six months compared to its peers.

Copa Holdings, which fell 7.13% during the 5-day period, was the biggest loser hurt by below-par third quarter results. The company also experienced the highest drop in share price (19.9%) over the last 6 months.

What’s Next in the Airline Biz?

Focus will remain on whether inclement weather will affect the lofty projections for the Thanksgiving holiday season. According to media reports, flight cancellations are on their way up due to the anticipated storm (Cato) in the northeastern states of the country.

With bad weather expected to play spoilsport as far as travel on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day is concerned, it would be interesting to see weather the forecast of trade organization, Airlines for America, holds true or not. The organization predicted that U.S. airlines will carry 1.5% more passengers in the Nov 21–Dec 2 period this year compared to last year.
 

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Read the Full Research Report on LUV
Read the Full Research Report on JBLU
Read the Full Research Report on GOL
Read the Full Research Report on DAL
Read the Full Research Report on UAL
Read the Full Research Report on CPA
Read the Full Research Report on AAL

Zacks Investment Research

• Finance
• Investment Company Information
• Delta Airlines
• American Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Copa Holdings

Print Mtn, Airtel, Glo, Etisalat, Waec, Neco, Jamb, Nairabet, Dstv Gotv scratch cards with the new recharge card machine. Click Now!!

Chicago, IL – November 26, 2014 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Airlines (part 1), including Delta Airlines Inc. (NYSE:DAL–Free Report), GOL Linhas A (NYSE:GOL–Free Report) and United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL–Free Report).
 
Industry: Airlines (part 1)

Link: http://www.zacks.com/commentary/35570/airline-stocks-soar-fuel-costs-offset-ebola-scare
 
The global aviation industry retained its strong momentum even in the recently concluded third quarter of 2014 on declining fuel prices, rising passenger travel demand and growing cargo and passenger traffic. Despite the outbreak of Ebola virus, most airline companies were able to maintain impressive air traffic growth in the recent months, resulting in an optimistic outlook for the remainder of 2014 and beyond.
 
Fuel costs comprise nearly 30% of the total operating expenses incurred by airline companies. Since June this year, crude oil prices have gone down by 30% which has translated into the impressive profits garnered by airline stocks in the third quarter.     

According to the International Air Transport Association (:IATA), expansion of the economic cycle along with rapid Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and world trade growth are expected to boost air travel by 5.9% − the best since 2011. The rise in capacity may, in turn, lead to a 3.5% cut in airfares, thus benefiting travelers.

The IATA remains positive on the industry and projects overall airline profits of $18.0 billion on revenues of $746 billion for 2014, from an estimated 3.32 billion passengers. In 2014, net profit margin is projected at 2.4%, up from 1.5% in 2013. The industry is expected to generate $5.42 from every departing passenger on an average, a rather soft number for a high-risk business.

Additionally, air cargo volumes — a crucial indicator of business confidence — have been a trouble spot since 2010. However, figures have been recovering since the start of 2014 and could expand 3.1% in the course of the year to reach $197 billion.

Outlook for North America

North America: With an improvement in the world’s largest economy, airlines in North America have seen considerable opportunities in 2014. Consolidation benefits, rising travel demand and several new and enhanced ancillary revenues provide an impetus to growth.

Better days are ahead for the U.S. airline industry with Airlines for America (A4A) predicting a 1.5% increase in the number of flyers during the Thanksgiving holiday season this year. According to the forecast, U.S. airlines will transport 24.6 million passengers in the Nov 21–Dec 2 period. Nov 30, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, is expected to be the busiest flying day in the period under consideration.

To tap in on the holiday season opportunity, most domestic airline companies in the U.S. have decided to maximize profits by increasing fares and seats. Recently, Delta Airlines Inc. (NYSE:DAL–Free Report) hiked round-trip fares by nearly $10 and was well followed by other leading carriers. Likewise, to boost revenue during the holiday season, JetBlue has also decided to charge bag fees and squeeze seats.

The recent agreement between the U.S. and China governments, to extend the validity of short-term visas for visitors between both nations for up to ten years followed with the extension of student exchange visas from one to five years will considerably benefit airline companies while going forward.

Although performance will continue to vary substantially between different U.S. carriers, a strong 2013 has made way for a higher 2014 profit forecast of $9.2 billion.
 
Underlying Factors for 2014 Profits
 
There are several catalysts that are poised to trigger profits for the overall airline industry in 2014 and beyond. These include:
 
Passenger Cargo: The IATA suggests that economic recovery along with faster GDP and world trade growth will drive air transportation demand. Customers, on the other hand, will benefit from cheaper air travel as one-way fares are expected to be slashed by 3.5% this year. The association projects global airline passenger growth of 5.9%. Meanwhile, the average industry load factor is expected at 80.4%.
 
Coming to demand-supply balances, demand (measured in traffic) is expected to outpace capacity in 2014. While the projected capacity increase is pegged at 5.5%, air travel demand is likely to see a 5.9% pickup.
 
Fuel Price Effect: Airline profits largely depend on fuel prices, the major variable component in the industry. For 2014, average jet fuel prices are expected to stay at $122.9 per barrel, a notch lower than $124.5 per barrel in 2013. However, oversupply of crude oil in the market has resulted in the downward trend in jet fuel prices, reaching price levels much below the forecasted price which is currently hovering near $100 a barrel. The association also expects fuel costs to remain stable at around $212 billion in the remainder of 2014.
 
Fleet Restructuring: Air carriers at large are looking for fuel efficient fleets in order to reduce costs that have gained 55% over the period 2006–2013. Most airline companies have set long-term goals of replacing aging planes with new and upgraded ones. Volatile oil prices have also played a major part in the fleet replacement decision. In a bid to retire depleted aircraft, recently Delta Airlines has recently ordered 50 new jets from Airbus worth $14 billion, to be delivered between 2017 and 2019. Even, Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas A (NYSE:GOL–Free Report) plans to invest nearly $1.7 billion to buy small, single-aisle jet models from Boeing Co. and Embraer SA.

According to Boeing, over the next 20 years, global airlines are expected to invest around $5.2 trillion in fleet development. Over the long run, the carriers aim to replace old narrow-body jets — A320’s/B757-200/300 — with advanced ones such as A-321, A320 Neo and the B737 Max, for better service and demand-supply equilibrium.
 
Jet Renovation: With passengers demanding comfort and quality service along with proper security, airlines are increasingly focusing on aircraft redesigning with the inclusion of new and attractive products and services within the travel plan. Meanwhile, United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL–Free Report) is offering premium flat-bed cabin seats on every long-haul international flight.
 
Further, the carrier has installed in-seat power on more than half of its mainline fliers and has paced up the installation of the satellite-based first ever Wi-Fi service for fliers. Delta Airlines plans to invest $750 million over the next two-year period to deploy Wi-Fi as well as to refurbish the interiors of its narrow-bodied aircraft over the next three years.
 
Apart from offering mini iPAD to its in-flight crewmembers to improve passenger service, the company will also extend its Porsche service to premier customers of three additional airports by Nov 30, 2014. Recently, JetBlue also launched its version of premium service, Mint, between JFK Airport, NYC and San Francisco International Airport.
 
Hedging Strategies: Hedging strategies are frequently used by airline companies to cope with rising fuel prices. Notably, carriers use a combination of calls, swaps and collars at varying WTI crude-equivalent price levels to hedge.
 
Zacks Industry Rank
 
Within the Zacks Industry classification, airlines are broadly grouped into the Transportation sector (one of the 16 Zacks sectors).
 
We rank all the 260-plus industries in the 16 Zacks sectors based on the earnings outlook and fundamental strength of the constituent companies in each industry. To learn more visit: About Zacks Industry Rank.
 
As a point of reference, the outlook for industries in the top one-third of the list (with Zacks Industry Rank #88 and lower) is ‘Positive,’ the mid one-third of the list (between #89 and 176) is ‘Neutral,’ while the last one-third (#177 and above) is ‘Negative.’
 
The Zacks Industry Rank for the airline industry is currently #48, implying that the outlook remains positive on this sector for this year owing to a rise in passenger air travel demand.
 
Earnings Trends
 
The broader Transportation sector reflects a stable growth pattern. So far, 100% of the sector participants in the SP 500 index have reported third-quarter results, which have been fairly good in terms of growth rates and beat ratios.
 
Total earnings for these companies are up 10.4% on 6.6% higher revenues, with 81.8% of the companies beating earnings estimates and 72.7% coming ahead of revenue expectations. This marks a much better performance by the Transportation sector than in any other recent quarter.
 
Third-quarter 2014 earnings are expected to rise 13.6%, thereby pegging the full-year 2014 growth outlook at 15.2%. For 2015, the sector’s earnings are poised to expand around 17.2%.
 
About Zacks                                  
 
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros.  In short, it’s your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time!  Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.
 
Get the full Report on DAL – FREE
Get the full Report on GOL – FREE
Get the full Report on UAL – FREE
 
Follow us on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/zacksresearch
 
Join us on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts
 
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
 
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
http://www.zacks.com

Delta Airlines isn’t too afraid to wade into a political issue despite the risk it will alienate many of its customers.

After President Obama announced his executive order on immigration last week, the airline issued this statement:

“Delta Air Lines applauds the steps announced this week to enact much-needed reforms to the nation’s immigration system,” said Joanne Smith, Delta’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

“The President’s actions will provide economic development opportunities and enhance public safety by streamlining legal immigration while cracking down on illegal immigration at the border and focusing on deporting felons rather than families.”

“Why did you issue that statement? It’s controversial,” a CBS morning show anchor asked Delta boss Richard Anderson today.

“If you’ve seen some of the email I’ve gotten,” Anderson replied, “you’d wonder why I issued the statement.”

So, why?

“Because this problem needs to be solved,” he said.

“We’re an airline, next year we hope to carry 175 million people, we have people all over the world and having immigration reform to allow people the freedom to move over the border is important,” he said. “Our country needs to reflect the diversity and values of people all over the world.”

It’s a point that could come with a cost.

@Delta have canceled ALL my Companies use of Delta Airlines, for embracing ILLEGAL immigration . We are a Nation of Law. surely Delta knows

— RB (@Csensewatchdog3) November 25, 2014

Or not.

I’ll be flying Delta Airlines for now on!

— Kesha lovenlife (@RekeshaW) November 25, 2014

POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — Pocatello’s commercial air service is getting an upgrade.

SkyWest Airlines, a regional carrier on contract with Delta Airlines, will begin using 50-seat jets next year in place of 30-seat turboprops on its Pocatello to Salt Lake City service.

The airline provides the only commercial service at Pocatello’s airport. It operates twice daily on weekdays and once a day on weekends.

Pocatello Regional Airport manager David Allen tells the Idaho State Journal (http://bit.ly/1zPzwSr ) that the Canadair CRJ-200 jets are quieter and more comfortable. They’ll replace Embraer EMB-120 turboprops.

Allen says the Pocatello airport has seen 8 percent annual growth since September 2012, higher than the national average.

___

Information from: Idaho State Journal, http://www.journalnet.com

CLF: http://www.investorsobserver.com/pr/112120142/CLF
F: http://www.investorsobserver.com/pr/112120142/F
DAL: http://www.investorsobserver.com/pr/112120142/DAL
HAL: http://www.investorsobserver.com/pr/112120142/HAL
AEGR: http://www.investorsobserver.com/pr/112120142/AEGR

(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)

Today’s PriceWatch Alerts cover the following stocks: Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF), Ford (NYSE: F), Delta Airlines (NYSE: DAL), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AEGR). InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alerts contain concise, detailed strategies for each stock we cover, including position protection tactics designed to defend investors from potential market shifts. While many other market reports only provide stock news and opinion, we offer strategies that can bulwark investments against uncertainty and increase chances of making a profit, even if a stock goes down.

“We go above and beyond typical market coverage,” said Bobby Raines, Analyst at InvestorsObserver. “Trading experts and beginning investors alike can find value in our PriceWatch Alerts. We provide actionable strategies that protect investments with basic hedging tactics, along with a concise explanation of our techniques.”

InvestorsObserver.com is an online newsletter which focuses on the U.S. equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help subscribers make the best possible investment decisions. For more information go to www.investorsobserver.com.

All stocks and options shown are examples only– not recommendations to buy or sell. Our picks do not represent a positive or negative outlook on any security.  Potential returns do not take into account your trade size, brokerage commissions or taxes–expenses that will affect actual investment returns. Stocks and options involve risk, thus they are not suitable for all investors. Prior to buying or selling options, a person should request a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options available at http://www.cboe.com/Resources/Intro.aspx. Privacy policy available upon request.

SOURCE InvestorsObserver

RELATED LINKS
http://www.investorsobserver.com

BETA Fueling Systems has received an order from Delta Airlines to supply ten 800 gallon per minute (3000 Lpm) hydrant dispenser trucks for Delta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
BETA’s newest hydrant truck series, the HT-800’s are designed to endure the rigors of the world’s busiest airport as well as extreme hot-to-cold climate swings experienced in Atlanta, Georgia. The company began delivering the new order in November 2014.

“Delta wanted a supplier who could leverage global experience to help them survive extreme conditions like last winter’s polar vortex”, said Jon DeLine, President and CEO of BETA. “BETA’s equipment proved to be fully reliable for Delta in last year’s sub-zero conditions, which was one of the driving factors to give us this new order”, said DeLine.

BETA has developed a unique skill set serving global customers in extreme climates around the world for over 40 years. “There are many variables to consider when designing equipment for
global fueling operations”, said John Ingold, BETA’s Engineering Manager. “We consider everything from aircraft types to user safety, and ergonomics to climates. Our mission is to
thoroughly cover every operational scenario to ensure fuel gets safely into the aircraft and flights to depart on time”, said Ingold.

BETA Fueling Systems, is the world’s leading manufacturer of hydrant dispensers, hydrant carts, and aviation refueling modules and has 1000’s of refueling units in service in over 30
countries world wide. For more information about BETA Fueling Systems, visit www.betafueling.com

“Sabi ni Dad mabait, energetic at down-to-earth si Tom (Rodriguez), ” Carla Abellana happily relates. …