Analysts at BMO Capital sent a bullish signal across the airline sector this week. They raised target prices on three major carriers in one sweep.
DAL got the biggest lift. BMO's Michael Goldie lifted his target from $80 to $105. That's a 31% jump. He kept his Buy rating intact.
UAL also moved sharply. The target went from $130 to $157.50. Short interest sits at just 4.7% of free float. Bears are not heavily positioned here.
LUV received two separate target hikes. Goldman Sachs moved its target from $30 to $35, even while holding a Sell rating. BMO went further — raising its target from $45 to $58.50 with a Buy. That split opinion between Goldman and BMO is worth watching.
Away from airlines, FDS saw Jefferies raise its target to $253 from $225. That's a 12.4% increase. The Hold rating was kept, but the move shows improving sentiment. Short interest at FactSet is elevated at 14.5% of free float — so a further positive surprise could squeeze bears.
Utilities saw broad target price creep upward. AEE, , , and others all got small upward revisions to consensus targets. No dramatic rating changes there — more a steady grinding higher.
The airline moves stand out most. All three major US carriers received target hikes within hours of each other. That suggests shared sector-level optimism, likely tied to summer travel demand data.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
