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.


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Stocks Mentioned

AAI 4.16

+0.05 +1.22%
Volume: 2,135,699
Track AAI

ALK 29.48

+0.18 +0.61%
Volume: 258,074
Track ALK

CAL 13.45

+0.20 +1.51%
Volume: 3,598,866
Track CAL

DAL 7.89

+0.23 +3.00%
Volume: 6,442,108
Track DAL

LCC 3.53

+0.23 +6.97%
Volume: 9,545,426
Track LCC

UAUA 7.33

+0.25 +3.53%
Volume: 3,977,018
Track UAUA


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