Alaska Air declines as it warns its profit will be dinged by fuel costs, weather, and air traffic control problems
Seattle-based Alaska Air is trading lower Monday afternoon after the airline warned investors that its third-quarter profits will likely come in on the low end of its prior outlook.
When Alaska Air reported its second-quarter results in July, the airline said it expected third-quarter earnings to land between $1 and $1.40 per share. As of early Monday, analysts polled by FactSet estimated $1.35.
A host of issues are behind the company’s expectations of a dent to earnings. ALK said it’s projecting fuel costs to climb to between $2.50 and $2.55 per gallon, up from its previous estimate of $2.45, due to West Coast refinery disruptions. Weather and air traffic control issues “led to increased costs from overtime, premium pay and passenger compensation,” Alaska said.
With Monday afternoon’s move, ALK shares are down about 8% year to date.