SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.04 EPS

SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The transportation company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.25 by ($0.04), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $993.12 million. SkyWest had a net margin of 10.92% and a return on equity of 17.14%.

Here are the key takeaways from SkyWest’s conference call:

• SkyWest reported Q4 GAAP net income of $91 million and full-year net income of $428 million, converting 15% production growth into a 31% increase in pre-tax income while generating $982 million EBITDA, >$400 million free cash flow and reducing debt by about $1 billion in the last three years.
• Management announced multiyear extensions for 40 E175s with United and 13 E175s with Delta, has 69 E175s on firm order (25 allocated to majors) and expects its E175 fleet to approach ~300 aircraft by end of 2028, with no major E175 expirations until late 2028.
• SkyWest continues to face elevated maintenance/MRO challenges and expects 2026 maintenance expense roughly in line with 2025 as it invests to return parked aircraft to service, and disclosed a ~$7 million Q4 hit from the government shutdown.
• For 2026 the company now targets mid-single-digit block hour growth, EPS in the mid‑$11s, about 9 E175 deliveries, and ~$600–625 million of CapEx, while warning of sharper seasonality with Q1 flat-to-down vs Q4.

SkyWest Price Performance

Shares of SKYW traded up $4.05 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $101.53. 531,047 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 270,160. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The company has a market capitalization of $4.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.69, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.66. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $101.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $105.01. SkyWest has a one year low of $74.70 and a one year high of $135.57.

Insider Activity at SkyWest

In related news, Director Meredith Siegfried Madden sold 4,725 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.54, for a total value of $503,401.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,362 shares in the company, valued at $2,702,067.48. This trade represents a 15.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SKYW. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of SkyWest by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 23,590 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,061,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in SkyWest during the 1st quarter worth approximately $227,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its position in SkyWest by 7.6% during the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 2,825 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in SkyWest by 118.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 625 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of SkyWest by 8.8% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 85,577 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,812,000 after purchasing an additional 6,938 shares in the last quarter. 81.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SKYW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research cut SkyWest from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of SkyWest from $132.00 to $122.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $122.00 target price on shares of SkyWest in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of SkyWest in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of SkyWest from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.83.

About SkyWest

SkyWest, Inc (NASDAQ: SKYW) is a regional airline holding company that provides air transportation services through its primary subsidiary, SkyWest Airlines. The company operates flights under capacity purchase agreements with major carriers such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. By specializing in regional connectivity, SkyWest links smaller communities to larger hubs using a fleet of regional jets and turboprop aircraft.

Headquartered in St. George, Utah, SkyWest oversees all aspects of its airline operations, including flight scheduling, crew training and aircraft maintenance.