American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Hold" Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded American Airlines from a "sell" to a "hold," and MarketBeat shows a mixed analyst picture (six Buys, nine Holds, two Sells) with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $14.63.
• American beat Q1 EPS expectations (adjusted loss of -$0.40 vs. -$0.45) and reported 10.8% revenue growth year‑over‑year, but revenue missed the consensus and management trimmed Q2 and FY2026 guidance while warning of roughly a $4 billion rise in 2026 jet‑fuel costs.
• Market dynamics include a ~19.9% drop in short interest (to ~59.7M shares, ≈9.1% of float) which eased bearish pressure, and several banks raised price targets amid mixed analyst moves.

American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of American Airlines Group in a report on Friday, March 27th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on American Airlines Group from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays lifted their price objective on American Airlines Group from $12.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on American Airlines Group from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on American Airlines Group from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.63.

American Airlines Group Trading Up 2.7%

AAL opened at $12.10 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.03 and a beta of 1.25. The business's 50-day moving average price is $11.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.25. American Airlines Group has a 12 month low of $9.48 and a 12 month high of $16.50.

American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The airline reported ($0.40) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.45) by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $13.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.13 billion. American Airlines Group had a negative return on equity of 9.11% and a net margin of 0.36%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.59) earnings per share. American Airlines Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at -0.400-1.100 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at -0.200-0.200 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that American Airlines Group will post -0.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Airlines Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in American Airlines Group in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of American Airlines Group during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in American Airlines Group by 102.0% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,353 shares of the airline's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,188 shares in the last quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in American Airlines Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in American Airlines Group by 845.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,251 shares of the airline's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 2,907 shares during the last quarter. 52.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Airlines Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting American Airlines Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — AAL reported a narrower-than-expected adjusted loss (-$0.40 vs. consensus -$0.45) and revenue growth (+10.8% Y/Y), which traders viewed as evidence of resilient demand. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Big drop in short interest — Short interest fell ~19.9% in April to ~59.7M shares (≈9.1% of float), reducing short pressure and potentially supporting the rally. (Short-interest report)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — BMO raised its price target to $13.50 (market‑perform), reinforcing upside expectations after the print. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic partnership talks — American is discussing a deeper international partnership with Alaska Air to expand transatlantic and transpacific reach; this is partnership upside but not an immediate revenue driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — Susquehanna trimmed its target from $17 to $16 but kept a "positive" stance; the change tempers enthusiasm but still implies substantial upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate positioning — CEO Robert Isom publicly ruled out a merger with United and emphasized partnerships, clarifying strategy (likely removes M&A premium risk). Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Surging fuel costs — Management warned of roughly a $4B jump in jet-fuel costs for 2026; fuel is a large, variable expense and the primary headwind to margins. Read More. and Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance trimmed — AAL narrowed Q2 and lowered FY 2026 EPS guidance (Q2: -0.20 to 0.20; FY: -0.40 to -1.10), signaling possible full‑year pressure and keeping downside risk to estimates. Read More.

About American Airlines Group

American Airlines Group Inc is a leading global airline holding company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Formed in December 2013 through the merger of AMR Corporation (parent of American Airlines) and US Airways Group, the company operates one of the world's largest passenger and cargo networks. Its subsidiaries include American Airlines, which provides mainline service, and American Eagle, a network of regional carriers operating short- and medium-haul routes on behalf of the mainline carrier.

The company offers scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 350 destinations in over 50 countries.

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