Zacks Research Issues Negative Estimate for AAL Earnings

19 Aug 2026, 01:43 by Scott Moore · The Cerbat Gem

American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL – Free Report) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of American Airlines Group in a report issued on Thursday, August 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the airline will earn ($0.17) per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($0.11). Zacks Research currently has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for American Airlines Group’s current full-year earnings is $0.03 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Airlines Group’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.09 EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($0.32) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.47 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.22 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.52 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.35 EPS.

American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The airline reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.12. American Airlines Group had a negative net margin of 0.56% and a negative return on equity of 9.11%. The business had revenue of $16.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year. American Airlines Group has set its Q3 2026 guidance at -0.700–0.100 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at -0.650-0.650 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on AAL. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Airlines Group from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on American Airlines Group from $13.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on American Airlines Group from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays boosted their target price on American Airlines Group from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on American Airlines Group from $19.50 to $19.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.03.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on American Airlines Group

American Airlines Group Stock Performance

American Airlines Group stock opened at $14.05 on Monday. American Airlines Group has a twelve month low of $10.09 and a twelve month high of $18.79. The firm has a market cap of $9.30 billion, a PE ratio of -28.67 and a beta of 1.34. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $15.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.71.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Airlines Group

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in American Airlines Group during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of American Airlines Group in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Pinnacle Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Airlines Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Airlines Group by 377.4% during the 4th quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 2,530 shares of the airline’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Airlines Group by 33.1% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,816 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 949 shares during the last quarter. 52.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Airlines Group news, COO David Seymour sold 56,456 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $1,016,208.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 969,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,442,594. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Angela Owens sold 40,077 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.26, for a total transaction of $611,575.02. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 178,799 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,728,472.74. This trade represents a 18.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 205,044 shares of company stock valued at $3,407,451 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

More American Airlines Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting American Airlines Group this week:

Positive Sentiment: American Airlines plans to increase premium seating on its narrowbody fleet, with premium seats expected to represent roughly 40% of narrowbody capacity versus about 25% currently. The strategy could improve revenue per passenger and help close the profit gap with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Reuters article
Positive Sentiment: The carrier will restore seatback entertainment screens on more than 800 narrowbody aircraft, with retrofits beginning in 2028 and continuing into the early 2030s. Management is responding to customer preferences and seeking to improve its competitive position, although the benefits will take time to materialize. CNBC article
Positive Sentiment: David Tepper’s Appaloosa Management disclosed a new position in American Airlines in its second-quarter 2026 13F filing. The investment may support market sentiment by signaling institutional confidence, though the filing reflects holdings as of June 30 and does not indicate whether the position remains current. 247WallSt article
Neutral Sentiment: The premium-seat and entertainment upgrades represent a significant strategic investment. They could raise yields and customer loyalty, but added retrofit and operating costs, along with the long implementation timeline, create execution risk. New York Post article
Negative Sentiment: Analysts remain cautious about American’s near-term earnings outlook. A bearish forecast for third-quarter results adds to concerns surrounding the company’s profitability, particularly as AAL continues to trail Delta and United in performance. American Banking and Market News article
Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage characterizes AAL as an airline-stock underperformer this year, prompting comparisons with potentially stronger alternatives such as Delta and United. That relative weakness may be limiting investor enthusiasm despite the new premium-service plans. 247WallSt airline comparison

American Airlines Group Company Profile

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American Airlines Group Inc is a leading global airline holding company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Formed in December 2013 through the merger of AMR Corporation (parent of American Airlines) and US Airways Group, the company operates one of the world’s largest passenger and cargo networks. Its subsidiaries include American Airlines, which provides mainline service, and American Eagle, a network of regional carriers operating short- and medium-haul routes on behalf of the mainline carrier.