American Airlines Group, Inc (NASDAQ:AAL) and Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE:LUV) rallied Tuesday after completing a period of consolidation that took place between July 6 and Monday.
American Airlines said on Tuesday that it expects second-quarter sales to increase 12% from pre-pandemic levels when it reports its financial results on July 21, which boosted the airline sector.
The news didn’t impress Susquehanna analyst Christopher Stathoulopoulos, who maintained a Neutral rating on the stock and lowered the price target from $19 to $15. On the contrary, Stathoulopoulos sees more upside for Southwest, and on Tuesday he upgraded the stock from Neutral to Positive and announced a $45 price target.
From a technical standpoint, both airlines look set to climb higher over the coming days, although consolidation will be needed along the way, because on Tuesday American Airlines and Southwest confirmed they are trading in new uptrends.
It should be noted that events affecting the general markets, negative or positive reactions to earnings prints and news headlines can quickly invalidate patterns and breakouts. As the saying goes, "the trend is your friend until it isn't," and any trader in a position should have a clear stop set in place and manage their risk versus reward.
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The American Airlines Chart: American Airlines reversed course into an uptrend on June 30, when the stock bounced up off the $12.25 level. American Airlines printed a higher low on Monday at $13.31 and on Tuesday, the stock confirmed its uptrend by rising up above the most recent high, which was formed at the $14.27 level on Friday.
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