Business
business
J. Edward Moreno

Moderna shoots higher on AI hopes

Moderna’s share price spiked up about 10% on Wednesday after Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison said artificial intelligence has the potential to make personalized vaccines to detect and prevent cancer.

Ellison made those remarks at a White House event announcing Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure joint venture. Moderna, while not specifically named by Ellison, is a leading maker of mRNA vaccines and has been developing jabs to treat melanoma, a certain type of skin cancer. The drugmaker has previously said it used AI to develop individualized cancer treatments.

The AI hype also follows a $590 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a bird flu vaccine announced Friday after market close. The company, which had struggled to keep up with investor expectations after its Covid vaccine revenue dried up, has seen its stock price shoot up almost 12% in the past week.

This week has also seen an abrupt shift in options market activity. Typically, nearly twice as many puts (options that benefit from a fall in the stock price) tied to Moderna have changed hands relative to calls (the opposite of puts) over the past month.

But call volumes were higher than puts on Tuesday, the first trading day after news of the grant surfaced. In a stark reversal of recent history, nearly 3x as many bullish contracts have traded relative to bearish ones as of 10:35 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

The AI hype also follows a $590 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a bird flu vaccine announced Friday after market close. The company, which had struggled to keep up with investor expectations after its Covid vaccine revenue dried up, has seen its stock price shoot up almost 12% in the past week.

This week has also seen an abrupt shift in options market activity. Typically, nearly twice as many puts (options that benefit from a fall in the stock price) tied to Moderna have changed hands relative to calls (the opposite of puts) over the past month.

But call volumes were higher than puts on Tuesday, the first trading day after news of the grant surfaced. In a stark reversal of recent history, nearly 3x as many bullish contracts have traded relative to bearish ones as of 10:35 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

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American Airlines joins the flock, hiking bag fees amid higher jet fuel prices

American Airlines on Thursday announced that it, too, will be hiking the fees it charges customers to check luggage.

With the move, all four of the major US airlines, which together control about 80% of the US market, have now hiked their baggage fees in recent days amid surging jet fuel prices.

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Since late March, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Canada’s WestJet, and Southwest have hiked their fees. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

American Airlines updates bag fees and Basic Economy fares

American Airlines updates bag fees and Basic Economy fares

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Since late March, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Canada’s WestJet, and Southwest have hiked their fees. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

business
Max Knoblauch

Less than a year after implementing them, Southwest is also hiking its bag fees

Southwest Airlines has joined the growing list of airlines opting to hike their bag fees amid sustained higher jet fuel costs.

Starting today, the first checked bag at the carrier — which implemented bag fees less than a year ago — will jump from $35 to $45, and the second from $45 to $55. Southwest quietly disclosed the change Tuesday.

Southwest assigned the decision to “part of an ongoing analysis of the business and against the evolving global backdrop.”

As of Wednesday, jet fuel prices dropped to $4.16 a gallon, per the Argus US Jet Fuel Index, down from $4.81 on Tuesday following President Trump’s ceasefire announcement, which sent travel stocks soaring. Major airlines have shed some of those gains in premarket trading Thursday.

With the move to hike bag fees, Southwest joins JetBlue, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Canada’s WestJet, all of which also boosted fees this month. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

Three US airlines have already hiked baggage fees. More are likely on the way.

Three US airlines have already hiked baggage fees. More are likely on the way.

Southwest assigned the decision to “part of an ongoing analysis of the business and against the evolving global backdrop.”

As of Wednesday, jet fuel prices dropped to $4.16 a gallon, per the Argus US Jet Fuel Index, down from $4.81 on Tuesday following President Trump’s ceasefire announcement, which sent travel stocks soaring. Major airlines have shed some of those gains in premarket trading Thursday.

With the move to hike bag fees, Southwest joins JetBlue, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Canada’s WestJet, all of which also boosted fees this month. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

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