Airlines needed some good news, and Delta delivered, says Stephens. With investor sentiment on the airline space negative, the group was in need of some good news and Delta Air Lines delivered a positive surprise this morning, Stephens analyst Jack Atkins tells investors in a research note. The airline pointed Q1 RASM growth to the upper-end of its initial guidance range, lowered its Q1 CASM excluding fuel expectation and raised its Q1 earnings guidance range, says the analyst. Atkins finds it encouraging that Delta noted underlying passenger demand remains solid and that the business market led the way during the quarter. Further, the company announced an extension of its credit card partnership with American Express (AXP), which is expected to double the revenue contribution to $7B by 2023 versus 2018 levels, he notes. Atkins reiterates an Overweight rating on Delta with a $63 price target. The stock in midday trading is up 7% to $55.64. Other names in the airline space include Alaska Air (ALK), American Airlines (AAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV), Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and United Continental (UAL).
