We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Southwest (LUV) Q3 Loss Narrower Than Expected, Revenues Beat
Read MoreHide Full Article
Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV - Free Report) incurred a loss of $1.99 per share (excluding 3 cents from non-recurring items) in the third quarter of 2020, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $2.44. In the year-ago period, the company had reported earnings of $1.23 per share. Results were affected by significant decline in passenger revenues as a result of persistent weakness in air-travel demand amid coronavirus concerns.
Moreover, operating revenues of $1,793 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,678.2 million. The top line declined 68.2% year over year, with passenger revenues accounting for bulk (81.1%) of the top line, sliding 72.2%.
Operating Statistics
Airline traffic, measured in revenue passenger miles, declined 63.9% year over year to 11.89 billion in the quarter under review. With reduced passenger demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, capacity or available seat miles (“ASMs”) fell 32.8% to 26.46 billion. Load factor (percentage of seats filled by passengers) came in at 44.9%, down 3860 basis points on a year-over-year basis as the decline in traffic was wider than the capacity contraction.
Passenger revenue per available seat mile (“PRASM”: a key measure of unit revenues) dropped 58.7% to 5.49 cents. Moreover, revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) declined 52.7% year over year to 6.78 cents, owing to decline in load factor and passenger revenue yield.
Southwest Airlines Co. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
In the third quarter, operating loss totaled $1,411 million against operating income of $819 million in the year-ago quarter. Total adjusted operating expenses (excluding profit sharing, special items, fuel and oil expense) dropped 17.1%, thanks to the company’s cost-cutting measures and reduction in salaries, wages and benefits among other expenses.
Fuel costs per gallon (inclusive of fuel tax: economic) was down 40.6% to $1.23. However, consolidated unit cost or cost per available seat mile (“CASM”) excluding fuel, oil and profit-sharing expenses, and special items, increased 23.4% year over year to 11.24 cents due to significant reduction in capacity.
Liquidity
This Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company had cash and cash equivalents of $12,109 million at the end of the third quarter, compared with $2,548 million at the end of 2019. As of Sep 30, 2020, the company had long-term debt (less current maturities) of $10,135 million compared with $1,846 million at 2019-end.
Outlook
With steady improvement in leisure-travel demand, Southwest anticipates operating revenues to decline 65-70% year over year in October. Previously, the same was estimated to drop 65-75%. For November, the carrier expects operating revenues to fall 60-65% year over year. Load factor is predicted to be in the range of 50-55% in October and November. Previously, the company estimated October load factor to be between 45% and 55%.
Average core cash burn is forecast to be approximately $12 million per day in October, while the same is expected to be approximately $11 million per day in the fourth quarter.
Due to capacity reductions, the airline anticipates fuel efficiency to improve 10% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2020. Economic fuel costs are estimated in the range of $1.2-$1.3 per gallon in the current quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the same was $2.09 per gallon.
Southwest estimates cost savings from voluntary-separation programs for its employees to be approximately $400 million in the fourth quarter. The same is forecast to be approximately $1.1 billion in 2021. However, the company expects to incur approximately $300 million and $500 million in voluntary program cash payments in the fourth quarter and in 2021, respectively.
The company predicts operating expenses (excluding fuel and oil expense, special items, and prior year profitsharing expense) to decrease 20-25% year over year in the ongoing quarter.
Sectorial Snapshot
Let’s take a look at some of the other recently released earnings reports from companies within the Zacks Transportation sector.
Kansas City Southern , carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), reported third-quarter 2020 earnings (excluding 5 cents from non-recurring items) of $1.96 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.88. Meanwhile, quarterly revenues of $659.6 million lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $662.4 million. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
JB Hunt Transport Services Inc. (JBHT - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank of 3, reported third-quarter 2020 earnings of $1.18 per share, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26. Total operating revenues of $2,472.5 million beat the consensus mark of $2,345.2 million.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank of 3, incurred a loss (excluding $1.83 from non-recurring items) of $8.16 per share in the third quarter of 2020, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $7.63. Moreover, operating revenues of $2,489 million lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,570.1 million.
Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential
The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.
Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +50%, +83% and +164% in as little as 2 months. The stocks in this report could perform even better. See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Southwest (LUV) Q3 Loss Narrower Than Expected, Revenues Beat
Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV - Free Report) incurred a loss of $1.99 per share (excluding 3 cents from non-recurring items) in the third quarter of 2020, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $2.44. In the year-ago period, the company had reported earnings of $1.23 per share. Results were affected by significant decline in passenger revenues as a result of persistent weakness in air-travel demand amid coronavirus concerns.
Moreover, operating revenues of $1,793 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,678.2 million. The top line declined 68.2% year over year, with passenger revenues accounting for bulk (81.1%) of the top line, sliding 72.2%.
Operating Statistics
Airline traffic, measured in revenue passenger miles, declined 63.9% year over year to 11.89 billion in the quarter under review. With reduced passenger demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, capacity or available seat miles (“ASMs”) fell 32.8% to 26.46 billion. Load factor (percentage of seats filled by passengers) came in at 44.9%, down 3860 basis points on a year-over-year basis as the decline in traffic was wider than the capacity contraction.
Passenger revenue per available seat mile (“PRASM”: a key measure of unit revenues) dropped 58.7% to 5.49 cents. Moreover, revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) declined 52.7% year over year to 6.78 cents, owing to decline in load factor and passenger revenue yield.
Southwest Airlines Co. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Southwest Airlines Co. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Southwest Airlines Co. Quote
Operating Expenses & Income
In the third quarter, operating loss totaled $1,411 million against operating income of $819 million in the year-ago quarter. Total adjusted operating expenses (excluding profit sharing, special items, fuel and oil expense) dropped 17.1%, thanks to the company’s cost-cutting measures and reduction in salaries, wages and benefits among other expenses.
Fuel costs per gallon (inclusive of fuel tax: economic) was down 40.6% to $1.23. However, consolidated unit cost or cost per available seat mile (“CASM”) excluding fuel, oil and profit-sharing expenses, and special items, increased 23.4% year over year to 11.24 cents due to significant reduction in capacity.
Liquidity
This Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company had cash and cash equivalents of $12,109 million at the end of the third quarter, compared with $2,548 million at the end of 2019. As of Sep 30, 2020, the company had long-term debt (less current maturities) of $10,135 million compared with $1,846 million at 2019-end.
Outlook
With steady improvement in leisure-travel demand, Southwest anticipates operating revenues to decline 65-70% year over year in October. Previously, the same was estimated to drop 65-75%. For November, the carrier expects operating revenues to fall 60-65% year over year. Load factor is predicted to be in the range of 50-55% in October and November. Previously, the company estimated October load factor to be between 45% and 55%.
Average core cash burn is forecast to be approximately $12 million per day in October, while the same is expected to be approximately $11 million per day in the fourth quarter.
Due to capacity reductions, the airline anticipates fuel efficiency to improve 10% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2020. Economic fuel costs are estimated in the range of $1.2-$1.3 per gallon in the current quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the same was $2.09 per gallon.
Southwest estimates cost savings from voluntary-separation programs for its employees to be approximately $400 million in the fourth quarter. The same is forecast to be approximately $1.1 billion in 2021. However, the company expects to incur approximately $300 million and $500 million in voluntary program cash payments in the fourth quarter and in 2021, respectively.
The company predicts operating expenses (excluding fuel and oil expense, special items, and prior year profitsharing expense) to decrease 20-25% year over year in the ongoing quarter.
Sectorial Snapshot
Let’s take a look at some of the other recently released earnings reports from companies within the Zacks Transportation sector.
Kansas City Southern , carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), reported third-quarter 2020 earnings (excluding 5 cents from non-recurring items) of $1.96 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.88. Meanwhile, quarterly revenues of $659.6 million lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $662.4 million. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
JB Hunt Transport Services Inc. (JBHT - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank of 3, reported third-quarter 2020 earnings of $1.18 per share, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26. Total operating revenues of $2,472.5 million beat the consensus mark of $2,345.2 million.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank of 3, incurred a loss (excluding $1.83 from non-recurring items) of $8.16 per share in the third quarter of 2020, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $7.63. Moreover, operating revenues of $2,489 million lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,570.1 million.
Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential
The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.
Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +50%, +83% and +164% in as little as 2 months. The stocks in this report could perform even better.
See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>