Here's Why Investors Should Give American Airlines Stock a Miss Now

American Airlines (AAL) is facing significant challenges that are adversely impacting its performance. Economic uncertainty, weak liquidity and escalated operating expenses are major headwinds, straining the company’s prospects and making it an unattractive choice for investors’ portfolios.

Let’s delve deeper.

AAL: Key Risks to Watch

Southward Earnings Estimate Revision: Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-quarter bottom line is pegged at a loss of 24 cents per share, in contrast to earnings of 6 cents 60 days ago. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings stands at 44 cents per share, indicating a 21.4% fall over the past 60 days.

The unfavorable estimate revision indicates brokers’ lack of confidence in the stock.

Dim Price Performance: The company’s price trend reveals that its shares have fallen 28.4% in the year-to-date period against the Transportation - Airline industry’s 6.2% rise.

Weak Zacks Rank: AAL currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Headwinds: American Airlines struggles under mounting pressure as weakening demand, surging costs and tight liquidity drag on performance. Economic uncertainty cuts into domestic leisure travel, one of its biggest revenue streams, while the American Eagle Flight 5342 accident earlier this year adds reputational risk and could further erode passenger confidence if safety concerns linger.

The carrier’s costs continue to rise, with total operating expenses jumping 2.4% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, to $13.3 billion. Liquidity poses an even greater challenge; the company ends the quarter with a current ratio of just 0.58, signaling it lacks enough short-term assets to meet immediate obligations, a critical weakness for a capital-intensive business that depends on steady cash flow to remain operational.

Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Zacks Airline industry may consider LATAM Airlines Group LTM and SkyWest SKYW.

LTM currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

LTM has an expected earnings growth rate of 45% for the current year. The company has a mixed earnings surprise history. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missed once and met in the remaining one, delivering an average beat of 4.04%.

SKYW currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

SkyWest has an expected earnings growth rate of 28.06% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 21.92%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research