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JetBlue's Q4 Earnings Coming Up: What's in the Offing for the Stock?

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JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2024 results on Jan. 28, 2025, before market open.

Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JBLU’s soon-to-be-reported is currently pegged at a loss of 33 cents per share. The consensus mark is currently wider than a loss of 42 cents in the past 60 days.

JetBlue has an impressive earnings surprise history, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters. The average beat is 62.8%.

Let’s look at the factors likely to have impacted JBLU’s performance in the December quarter.

JetBlue Airways' proactive efforts to expand its connectivity in response to increased demand are likely to have boosted its performance in the to-be-reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $2.26 billion, indicating a 3% decline from the year-ago level.

Our estimate for passenger revenues is pegged at $2.05 billion, which hints at a decrease of 5.4% from the fourth-quarter 2023 actuals. Meanwhile, estimates for other revenues are pegged at $181 million.

Lower oil prices bode well for the bottom-line growth of airlines, including JBLU. This is because fuel expenses are a significant input cost for the aviation segment.

On the contrary, the adverse effect of increasing operating expenses is expected to be reflected in the company’s bottom line in the December quarter.

What Our Model Says About JBLU Stock

Our proven model predicts a likely earnings beat for JetBlue this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here.

JBLU has an Earnings ESP of +7.73% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Highlights of JBLU's Q3

JetBlue reported third-quarter 2024 loss (excluding one cent per share from non-recurring items) of 16 cents per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 26 cents. In the year-ago quarter, JBLU reported a loss of 39 cents. Operating revenues of $2.36 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.34 billion and increased 0.5% year over year.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are a few other stocks from the broader Zacks Transportation sector that investors might want to consider, as our model shows that these, too, have the right combination of elements to beat fourth-quarter 2024 earnings.

American Airlines (AAL - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.99% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. AAL is set to release fourth-quarter 2024 results on Jan. 23, 2025. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

AAL has an encouraging earnings surprise history, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the preceding four quarters and missing once. The average miss is 124.4%.

Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2024 results on Feb. 04, 2025, after market close. It has an Earnings ESP of +10.23% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

ALGT has an encouraging earnings surprise history, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the preceding four quarters and missing once. The average miss is 57.4%.


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