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US Airlines' shares rise as data on airfares signals improved pricing power

The shares of major U.S. airlines soared Tuesday, after positive airfare data for July indicated improved pricing power for the sector. Airlines are bringing capacity under control to align themselves with a softening demand environment.

In afternoon trading, shares of United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines all rose between 8 and 10 percent, while Southwest Airlines, a budget airline, gained 4%.

Other smaller competitors also grew, with Alaska Air up by 8% and JetBlue Airways around 10%. Low-cost carrier Frontier Group surged 22%.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Labor Department released data on Tuesday showing that airfares increased 4% in July, after declining by 0.1% in June. This was their first rise in six months.

After months of discounting and margin pressure, airlines have begun to reduce prices due to a weak demand by budget-conscious domestic travellers.

Michael Ashley Schulman is the chief investment officer at Running Point Capital. He said that with CPI showing that airfares rose 4% in July carriers have finally regained pricing power.

Travelers have been reevaluating their plans and cutting back on discretionary expenses due to the uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and budget reductions.

Since then, airlines have reduced the number of seats they offer and adjusted routes in order to maintain their pricing power and protect margins.

Major executives were confident in their ability to reduce capacity and increase airfares by the end of the year during their earnings calls for the second quarter in July.

The first increase in six months was the July airfare, which boosted investor confidence that carriers would be able to stabilize prices and profitability through capacity discipline.

Schulman stated that the main risk was fuel and labor prices trying to jump ahead of the queue or an unlikely but possible recession. Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary, Bengaluru. Editing by Pooja Deai.

(source: Reuters)