JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Reduce" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Reduce": Thirteen analysts covering JetBlue give a consensus rating of "Reduce" (five sell, eight hold) with an average 12‑month price target of $5.27.
• Q4 earnings missed: JetBlue reported EPS of -$0.49 versus -$0.45 expected and revenue of $2.24B (slightly above estimates), while remaining unprofitable with negative margins and high leverage (debt/equity 3.42).
• Stock and ownership: Shares trade around $5.96 (12‑month range $3.34–$7.83) with a market cap of ~$2.17B, and institutional investors own about 83.71% of the stock.

Shares of JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Reduce" from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $5.2708.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on JetBlue Airways from $3.50 to $4.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of JetBlue Airways from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Citigroup raised shares of JetBlue Airways from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $6.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of JetBlue Airways from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of JetBlue Airways in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On JetBlue Airways

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CWM LLC lifted its position in JetBlue Airways by 3.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 78,200 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $385,000 after buying an additional 2,394 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in shares of JetBlue Airways by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 30,678 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $130,000 after acquiring an additional 2,954 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of JetBlue Airways by 639.1% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 5,839 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 5,049 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of JetBlue Airways by 51.1% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,084 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 5,439 shares during the period. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its position in shares of JetBlue Airways by 7.7% in the second quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 78,237 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 5,588 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.71% of the company's stock.

JetBlue Airways Stock Performance

Shares of JBLU opened at $5.96 on Thursday. JetBlue Airways has a 12-month low of $3.34 and a 12-month high of $7.83. The stock has a market cap of $2.17 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.57 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42. The company has a 50-day moving average of $4.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.78.

JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported ($0.49) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.45) by ($0.04). JetBlue Airways had a negative return on equity of 24.93% and a negative net margin of 6.64%.The business had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.22 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.21) earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that JetBlue Airways will post -0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue Airways Corporation is a low-cost scheduled passenger airline headquartered in Long Island City, New York. Since commencing service in 2000, the carrier has built a reputation for combining competitive fares with enhanced onboard amenities, including free in-flight entertainment, complimentary snacks and beverages, and onboard Wi-Fi. JetBlue operates a single fleet type of Airbus A320 family and Embraer 190 aircraft, which supports its focus on efficiency and operational consistency.

The airline's core offerings include economy-class travel and a premium business-class product known as Mint, which features lie-flat seats, curated culinary options and elevated service on select transcontinental and international routes.

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