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Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About JetBlue (JBLU) Q3 Earnings

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JetBlue Airways (JBLU - Free Report) reported $2.37 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 0.5%. EPS of -$0.16 for the same period compares to -$0.39 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.72% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.35 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.26, the EPS surprise was +38.46%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how JetBlue performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Load factor: 86.6% compared to the 84.7% average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Average fuel cost per gallon, including fuel taxes: $2.67 compared to the $2.72 average estimate based on three analysts.
  • Yield per passenger mile: 15.17 cents versus 15.42 cents estimated by three analysts on average.
  • Operating revenue per ASM: 14.13 cents versus the three-analyst average estimate of 14.01 cents.
  • Available seat miles (ASMs): 16.74 billion versus 16.75 billion estimated by three analysts on average.
  • Operating expense per ASM, excluding fuel: 10.62 cents compared to the 10.76 cents average estimate based on three analysts.
  • Revenue passenger miles (RPMs): 14.49 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of 14.16 billion.
  • Passenger revenue per ASM: 13.13 cents versus the three-analyst average estimate of 13.03 cents.
  • Fuel gallons consumed: 219 Mgal versus the two-analyst average estimate of 222.33 Mgal.
  • Operating expense per ASM: 14.35 cents compared to the 14.42 cents average estimate based on two analysts.
  • Operating Revenues- Passenger: $2.20 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $2.19 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -0.1%.
  • Operating Revenues- Other: $167 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $161.85 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +9.9%.
View all Key Company Metrics for JetBlue here>>>

Shares of JetBlue have returned +11.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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