Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Upgrades JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) to Buy

JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) was upgraded by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $5.50 target price on the transportation company’s stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 55.15% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on JBLU. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of JetBlue Airways from $6.75 to $5.25 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of JetBlue Airways from $7.00 to $5.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Citigroup upgraded shares of JetBlue Airways from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $5.30 to $4.50 in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Wall Street Zen cut JetBlue Airways from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upgraded JetBlue Airways from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $4.00 to $3.50 in a research note on Monday, October 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $4.94.

JetBlue Airways Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JBLU opened at $3.54 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.92, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.55. JetBlue Airways has a 12 month low of $2.16 and a 12 month high of $6.62. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $3.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.90.

JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 26th. The transportation company reported ($0.60) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.55) by ($0.05). JetBlue Airways had a negative net margin of 10.01% and a negative return on equity of 56.96%. The company had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.40) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that JetBlue Airways will post -2.73 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Nik Mittal acquired 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $3.24 per share, with a total value of $324,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 238,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $772,859.88. This represents a 72.18% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $23,920 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 2.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On JetBlue Airways

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. U S Global Investors Inc. grew its holdings in JetBlue Airways by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 6,501,298 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,500,000 after acquiring an additional 505,067 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in JetBlue Airways in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $20,022,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in shares of JetBlue Airways during the second quarter valued at $13,549,000. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of JetBlue Airways by 91.1% during the third quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC now owns 2,297,994 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,721,000 after acquiring an additional 1,095,610 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of JetBlue Airways by 235.9% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,246,200 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,928,000 after acquiring an additional 1,577,500 shares during the last quarter. 83.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting JetBlue Airways

Here are the key news stories impacting JetBlue Airways this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JetBlue joined a broader airline rally as oil prices fell sharply, potentially lowering fuel expenses. The report noted JetBlue’s comparatively limited buffer against fuel-cost swings. JetBlue Surges as Oil Prices Slide
• Positive Sentiment: Director Nik Mittal bought 100,000 shares for $324,000, increasing his stake by about 72%. The sizable purchase may signal confidence in the company. SEC filing on director’s share purchase
• Positive Sentiment: JetBlue is adding nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale to Indianapolis and Columbus, expanding its network and advancing its JetForward strategy. JetBlue adds nonstop routes
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Digital and Technology Officer Carol Clements sold 2,000 shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, a small reduction in her holdings. SEC filing on insider sale
• Negative Sentiment: JetBlue raised checked-bag fees for the third time in less than a year, with some first-bag fees reaching $70 during peak travel periods. The increase may help offset higher costs, but also highlights profit pressure and could weigh on customer demand. JetBlue raises checked-bag fees
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose 9.2% from September 30 to 32.87% of the float, indicating substantial bearish positioning and potential volatility. JetBlue short interest data

JetBlue Airways Company Profile

JetBlue Airways Corporation is a U.S.-based passenger airline that provides scheduled air transportation to destinations across the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and select locations in Europe. The company operates primarily from focus cities including New York, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Los Angeles, with a network designed to connect major metropolitan areas and leisure destinations.

JetBlue offers multiple classes and service options, including standard economy seating, extra-legroom EvenMore seats and its premium Mint service on select routes.