New York, May 22, 2026, 05:14 EDT
American Airlines Group traded down in early premarket hours Friday, dipping 0.6% to $13.51 and easing after Thursday’s near 5% jump. Investors are watching the carrier’s fuel expenses ahead of CEO Robert Isom’s meeting with Wall Street next week. Shares ended Thursday at $13.59. Premarket trades post before the usual 9:30 a.m. New York market start.
Awkward timing for American. The company announced this week that CEO Isom will speak at Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference on May 27. Management is expected to update investors on how much of the fuel-cost spike it can shift to customers by raising fares, adding fees, or cutting capacity.
U.S. markets will run normal hours Friday, while both the Nasdaq and NYSE shut Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day. That means only one typical trading day before the holiday weekend, when news on oil could still swing airline stocks.
American Airlines outperformed major U.S. rivals Thursday, gaining 4.94% to $13.59. Delta Air Lines was up 2.1%, United Airlines rose 1.7%, and Southwest Airlines advanced 2.7% as the market broadly moved higher.
Oil stays in focus. Brent crude climbed 3.2% to $105.88 a barrel at 0845 GMT Friday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate added 2.6% to $98.88. Investors remain doubtful about any quick progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks. “The market is headline-driven,” PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga told Reuters, with traders watching for signs of a deal. Reuters
American’s margin outlook is front and center. In April, the airline cut its 2026 adjusted earnings forecast to between a 40-cent loss and $1.10 a share in profit, blaming a jump in jet fuel prices for more than $4 billion in extra costs this year. Adjusted earnings take out what American calls special or non-recurring items.
Isom stuck to demand. Last month, American quoted him saying the airline was “on track for another record in the second quarter” and that it still saw “modest profitability” for the year, as long as the current fuel curve holds. American Airlines Newsroom
American Airlines reported first-quarter revenue at a record $13.9 billion. GAAP net loss was $382 million. Total debt dropped to $34.7 billion, the lowest since mid-2015. Total unit revenue climbed 7.6% year over year. American is guiding to second-quarter revenue growth of 13.5% to 16.5%.
The setup still isn’t risk-free for the stock. If oil talks hit a snag and crude holds near $100 or higher, American might have to keep raising fares or pull back on flights; either move can hit demand, especially from leisure travelers. Last month, Reuters said American was making back almost half its higher fuel costs in the second quarter and aims to recoup more later this year. That hinges on customers accepting higher fares.
Stocks moved higher Friday, lifting airlines as well. Global shares rose, Reuters said, and U.S. stock futures pointed up while traders kept an eye on Iran talks. “Nobody really knows where these negotiations are heading,” Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Matt Britzman said. Reuters
American shares are trading between strong demand driving revenue higher and fuel prices still dictating the floor. The stock slipped a bit Friday morning. Investors now wait for Isom’s update next week to see if the focus stays on revenue rather than fuel costs.
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