Today’s Change
(13.36%) $0.56
Current Price
$4.75
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$1.6B
Day’s Range
$4.23 – $4.99
52wk Range
$3.34 – $6.50
Volume
106M
Avg Vol
21M
Gross Margin
14.78%
JetBlue Airways (JBLU +13.36%), a low-cost carrier across the Americas and Europe, closed Wednesday at $4.75, up 13.37%. The stock moved higher after reports it has hired advisers to explore strategic options, including a potential sale or merger, leaving investors watching whether any concrete deal discussions emerge.
Trading volume reached 101.3 million shares, coming in about 353% above its three-month average of 22.4 million shares. JetBlue Airways IPO’d in 2002 and has fallen 64% since going public.
How the markets moved today
S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.54%) added 0.54% to finish Wednesday at 6,592, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +0.77%) rose 0.77% to close at 21,930. Within airlines, peers Alaska Air Group (ALK +2.08%) closed at $39.28, up 2.08%, and Southwest Airlines (LUV +0.70%) finished at $40.19, gaining 0.90%, as investors assess deal and demand prospects across the group.
What this means for investors
Airline stocks in general rose today as surging oil prices took a breather, moving slightly lower. JetBlue stood out from its peers, though, after Semafor reported that the struggling airline has engaged advisors to explore the possibility of selling itself to a competitor. The international news organization cited people familiar with the situation, but didn’t comment on whether those sources felt a deal was likely.
Subsequent reports from Bloomberg and other sources have confirmed that JetBlue is contemplating selling itself to a competitor. This development has intensified speculation about industry consolidation and fueled buying interest in the stock.
Investors should be aware that ongoing volatility in oil prices could push airline stocks in either direction in the near term.
Howard Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Alaska Air Group and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
