For the quarter ended December 2024, American Airlines (AAL) reported revenue of $13.66 billion, up 4.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.86, compared to $0.29 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $13.42 billion, representing a surprise of +1.81%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +34.38%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.64.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how American Airlines performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Operating cost per ASM excluding net special items - Total: 17.49 cents compared to the 17.47 cents average estimate based on four analysts.
- Operating cost per ASM excluding net special items and fuel - Total: 13.99 cents versus the four-analyst average estimate of 13.96 cents.
- Available seat miles - Total: 71.5 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 71.18 billion.
- Passenger load factor (percent) - Total: 84.9% compared to the 84.3% average estimate based on four analysts.
- Passenger revenue- Domestic: $9.05 billion compared to the $8.87 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.5% year over year.
- Passenger revenue- Latin America: $1.66 billion compared to the $1.69 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.7% year over year.
- Passenger revenue- Total International: $3.35 billion versus $3.39 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.6% change.
- Passenger revenue- Pacific: $365 million versus $295.57 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +39.3% change.
- Passenger revenue- Atlantic: $1.32 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.40 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -0.5%.
- Revenue- Passenger: $12.40 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $12.30 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.3%.
- Revenue- Other: $1.04 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $906.03 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +21.7%.
- Revenue- Cargo: $220 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $204.71 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +10.6%.
Shares of American Airlines have returned +7.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.
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