The internet never forgets and investors tend to have long memories as well. That is why I was hesitant to write about a sector that historically hasn’t been so kind to investors. Of the 22 stocks in this industry, there are 9 that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) which has to be some kind of record.

Now before we go any further, know that this article doesn’t come with any extra fees for bags.I won’t eject you from this site and forcibly remove you from your seat. The delays you experience will be more about your computer or internet provider (although the Zacks website isn’t the fastest). So buckle up and be aware that your closest exit might be behind you.

The Friendly Skies?

Lately, the friendly skies haven’t been so friendly. Aside from the removal of passenger by force, there was a recent dust up from a conservative pundit.Selecting your seat seems to be the new way the airlines are using to drum up fees, but at the end of the day, higher fees often mean higher earnings.

Earnings estimates are the driving force behind the Zack Rank and with so many airlines getting positive estimate revisions we end of with the industry soaring the top 3% of all industries.

With 20% returns YTD for the group, let’s take a look at a few of the high fliers.

Southwest (LUV – Free Report) is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has some great style score, with a B for value and an A for growth. The company has a so-so record when it comes to a recent earnings history with two beats and two misses of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.That is a factor in the Zacks Rank, but not nearly as important as the number of positive revisions.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for this year has moved from $3.76to $3.90 over the last 90 days. At the same time the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2018 moved from $4.57 to $4.80.

LUV trades at 16x forward earnings and 18x trailing earnings.A price to sales multiple of 1.8x is also right in line with the industry average.

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