New York, Feb 24, 2026, 06:35 EST — Premarket
- American Airlines shares changed hands at $12.93, sliding 4.8% from their previous close
- Carriers are scrambling to restore schedules after a Northeast storm triggered widespread cancellations.
- Company has filed a fresh shelf registration, opening the door to possible debt or equity offerings down the line.
Shares of American Airlines Group Inc slipped ahead of Tuesday’s opening bell, with a severe winter storm battering the Northeast disrupting travel plans, and the carrier filing a shelf registration that could allow it to sell securities down the line.
The storm is crucial this week, slamming right into the segment that drives revenue—planes stuck on the ground don’t bring in cash, and catching up later can mean higher bills for staff, jets, and passenger rebooking. Investors, for their part, were already jumpy about signals of added borrowing or fresh stock offerings.
American shares changed hands at $12.93, off roughly 4.8% from the prior close after a drop in the last session that hit airline stocks broadly. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were both in the red as well.
Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed as a blizzard hammered the Northeast, dumping over 2-1/2 feet of snow in some areas. American managed to get flights moving again at Washington Reagan National and Philadelphia, while both American and Delta said they aimed to have operations back up at New York’s LaGuardia, JFK, and Boston by late Tuesday morning. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/storm-paralyzes-travel-forcing-more-than-8000-us-flight-disruptions-2026-02-23/
Beyond the airlines, Monday leaned hard into “risk-off” territory as traders jittered over tariff chatter and wider disruption worries. “You’ve seen the market react to headlines, it’s ‘sell first, assess later,’” said Tom Hainlin, national investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. https://www.reuters.com/business/wall-st-futures-dip-tariff-doubts-hit-risk-appetite-2026-02-23/
Fuel’s another major concern. Oil’s been holding strong, with Brent hitting a six-month peak on Monday. Ongoing geopolitical tensions have helped keep crude prices elevated, piling on the usual pressure for airline shares every time energy markets heat up. https://www.reuters.com/business/european-oil-gas-stocks-hit-record-high-surpassing-2007-level-2026-02-23/
American filed a Form S-3 shelf registration with the SEC late Monday. This type of filing allows the company to issue securities incrementally rather than in one go. American noted it “may offer and sell” various securities — that could mean common stock, preferred stock, or debt — at different times. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/6201/000119312526064011/d50211ds3asr.htm
Shelf filings show up often, and this particular one leaves both the size and timing open. But for a stock that’s already reacting to storm-related turmoil, that extra room to maneuver could hang over the shares if investors anticipate dilution or increased leverage.
Pretty simple on the risk side: prolonged flight disruptions—think crews and planes stranded—could drag out much more than projected. Fuel costs? Those can leap if crude takes off again. And if a follow-on prospectus supplement hits the tape connected to a real deal, that could flip expectations almost instantly.
On Tuesday, traders are zeroing in on how fast cancellations come down to normal, plus whether New York and Boston hubs can get back up without fresh hiccups. Oil’s next move stays in focus as new macro headlines hit. “The lack of clarity regarding their duration and scope keeps volatility elevated,” said Antonio Di Giacomo, senior market analyst at brokerage XS.com, pointing to ongoing tariff uncertainty. https://www.reuters.com/business/us-stock-futures-steady-after-mondays-battering-tariffs-ai-concerns-dominate-2026-02-24/
