1203 ET - Expect U.S. carriers to post fourth-quarter results that beat consensus estimates, starting with Delta Air Lines later this week, on strong consumer demand, price increases and favorable fuel costs, TD Cowen analysts say in a note. They forecast every airline to beat Wall Street estimates for the quarter with the exception of Sun Country, which they have as in line. "We believe the December quarter was characterized by robust demand and pricing that continued to firm against tightening supply," the analysts say. TD's bright outlook for the sector extends into the first quarter. Their checks indicate that bookings are solid and that companies are benefiting from capacity cuts. For 2025, the analysts say they are above earnings per shareconsensus estimates for every airline except JetBlue and Frontier. (adam.cataldo@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 06, 2025 12:03 ET (17:03 GMT)

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