Next Gen Upgrades AirTran (AAI), Continental (CAL), UAL (UAUA) to Buy

November 2, 2009 9:28 AM EST

Next Generation upgrades AirTran (NYSE: AAI), Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) and UAL Corp. (Nasdaq: UAUA) to Buy, citing the recent 30%+ sell-off. Notably, the firm had both AirTran and UAL at Neutral previously, and Continental at Sell.

The firm attributes the recent slide in stock prices to "investors locking in returns for year-end performance measurement (given rising fuel prices, headline news on swine flu, and a recognition that the earnings recovery will not be V-shaped after all)."

Further, Next Generation sees continued industry consolidation as "necessitated by general instability in profits." This supports the firm's recent thesis that "M&A is merely dormant, not dead."

The firm notes that it now has Buy's on most airline stocks in its coverage universe, with Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) their favorite, followed by Delta Air (NYSE: DAL), US Airways (NYSE: LCC) and then UAL, Continental and AirTran.


Related Categories

Analyst Comments
Upgrades

Stocks Mentioned

AAI 4.16

+0.05 +1.22%
Volume: 750,566
Track AAI

ALK 29.67

+0.37 +1.26%
Volume: 67,775
Track ALK

CAL 13.58

+0.33 +2.49%
Volume: 1,539,516
Track CAL

DAL 7.83

+0.17 +2.22%
Volume: 2,848,291
Track DAL

LCC 3.60

+0.30 +9.09%
Volume: 5,009,755
Track LCC

UAUA 7.29

+0.21 +2.97%
Volume: 1,432,558
Track UAUA


Add Your Comment