SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW) Hits New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• 52‑week low: SKYW hit a new 12‑month low (intraday $85.24, last $86.09) and is trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages, down about 7.2% on elevated volume.
• Mixed quarter — beats but risks: SkyWest beat Q1 estimates with $2.50 EPS and ~$1.01B revenue, but gross and operating profit declined, capex surged and management trimmed 2026 GAAP EPS guidance to roughly $11, raising near‑term earnings uncertainty.
• Growth catalyst and sentiment: The company plans a CRJ450 launch with United this fall and short interest fell ~15.8%, yet analysts have trimmed price targets and the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" (target ~$119.80).

SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYW - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Saturday . The stock traded as low as $85.24 and last traded at $86.09, with a volume of 846717 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $92.75.

SkyWest News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting SkyWest this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — SkyWest reported EPS of $2.50 and revenue of ~$1.01B, topping estimates and showing y/y revenue growth (operating cash flow also strengthened). Zacks: SkyWest Results Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest declined materially in April (down ~15.8% to ~1.19M shares), reducing one potential source of selling pressure and suggesting fewer bets against the stock in the near term.
• Positive Sentiment: SkyWest plans to launch the CRJ450 with United this fall — a fleet-expansion/contract win that supports future revenue growth and utilization. MSN: SkyWest trims 2026 EPS outlook, plans CRJ450 launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted an earnings call emphasizing growth opportunities amid headwinds; the tone was constructive but highlighted execution risks as costs rise. TipRanks: Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed Q1 metrics were mixed — gross and operating profit declined y/y despite higher revenue; cash from operations rose while cash balances fell due to a sharp increase in capex, pointing to heavier investment that could support future growth but pressures near-term liquidity. Quiver: Q1 financial details
• Negative Sentiment: SkyWest trimmed its 2026 EPS outlook (management now anticipates GAAP EPS roughly in the $11 area), which, together with rising unit costs and softer passenger metrics, increases short-term earnings uncertainty. Seeking Alpha: 2026 EPS guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Industry/regional pressures: analysts and coverage note rising regional airline costs and weaker passenger metrics that trimmed operating margins — a key reason investors are selling into the beat. Investing.com: Costs rise

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SKYW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of SkyWest in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $122.00 target price on SkyWest in a research note on Monday, January 26th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of SkyWest from $122.00 to $106.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of SkyWest from $112.00 to $101.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $119.80.

SkyWest Stock Down 7.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $95.56 and a 200 day moving average of $98.75.

SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.35. SkyWest had a return on equity of 15.64% and a net margin of 10.42%.The firm had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $993.06 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.42 earnings per share. SkyWest's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that SkyWest, Inc. will post 11.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Wade J. Steel sold 20,629 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.53, for a total transaction of $2,197,607.37. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 77,438 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,249,470.14. This represents a 21.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of SkyWest

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of SkyWest by 10.8% during the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,894 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $174,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of SkyWest in the 1st quarter worth about $1,677,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of SkyWest in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,635,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of SkyWest by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,512 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $139,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LMG Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of SkyWest by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. LMG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 23,700 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,176,000 after buying an additional 898 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.30% of the company's stock.

SkyWest Company Profile

SkyWest, Inc NASDAQ: SKYW is a regional airline holding company that provides air transportation services through its primary subsidiary, SkyWest Airlines. The company operates flights under capacity purchase agreements with major carriers such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. By specializing in regional connectivity, SkyWest links smaller communities to larger hubs using a fleet of regional jets and turboprop aircraft.

Headquartered in St. George, Utah, SkyWest oversees all aspects of its airline operations, including flight scheduling, crew training and aircraft maintenance.

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