JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) Shares Up 10.9% Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• JetBlue shares jumped 10.9% after Susquehanna raised its price target from $4.00 to $5.00 while keeping a "neutral" rating, with the stock trading as high as $5.17 on mid‑day volume of ~4.75M (about 80% below average).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: MarketBeat shows 1 Strong Buy, 7 Holds and 4 Sells with an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $4.88, highlighted by Seaport's upgrade to Buy/$8 and Goldman/UBS cuts to $3.50 with Sell ratings.
• Recent results disappointed: JetBlue reported EPS of -$0.87 (missing the -$0.72 estimate) with revenue of $2.24B (up 4.7% y/y), and the airline remains unprofitable with a negative ROE and high leverage (debt/equity ~4.25).

JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 10.9% on Friday after Susquehanna raised their price target on the stock from $4.00 to $5.00. Susquehanna currently has a neutral rating on the stock. JetBlue Airways traded as high as $4.74 and last traded at $5.1680. Approximately 4,749,693 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 24,345,350 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.66.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on JBLU. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on JetBlue Airways from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on JetBlue Airways from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Seaport Research Partners upgraded JetBlue Airways from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $8.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Evercore lifted their target price on JetBlue Airways from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of JetBlue Airways from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, JetBlue Airways currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $4.88.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JBLU. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in JetBlue Airways by 157.3% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 5,517 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 3,373 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of JetBlue Airways by 639.1% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of JetBlue Airways during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of JetBlue Airways during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC increased its holdings in JetBlue Airways by 12,727.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 7,055 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 7,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.71% of the company's stock.

JetBlue Airways Price Performance

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $4.86. The firm has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.66 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.25, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.70.

JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported ($0.87) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.72) by ($0.15). JetBlue Airways had a negative return on equity of 32.76% and a negative net margin of 7.78%.The business had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.59) earnings per share. JetBlue Airways's quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that JetBlue Airways Corporation will post -2.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

JetBlue Airways Company Profile

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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