What Happens After United Airlines Stock Retests the $20 Level

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The rapidly accelerating rate of infections in the several U.S. states put a quick end to the rally in airline stocks. United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) peaked at $50 in early June 2020. But from there, United Airlines stock failed to find bulls.

What Happens After United Airlines Stock Retests the $20 Level
Source: travelview / Shutterstock.com

Now that United Airlines stock is near $35, investors willing to bet on the beaten-down sector need two things.

First, UAL needs an accelerating pace of airline traffic growth. Second, the airline needs to boost its liquidity and accumulate debt as coronavirus cases hurt demand.

Bankruptcy Risk Averted for United Airlines Stock

Strong demand for United Airlines’ debt should remove any near-term bankruptcy risks. The company increased the size of its offering to $6.8 billion, up from $5 billion. At a generous yield of 7% to 7.25%, investors are clamoring over the offering because cash earns zero interest.

United Airlines mirrors the American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) debt sale, worth $2.5 billion, paying 11.75%, and due 2020. This offering is increased from the previously announced $1.5 billion.

UAL’s lower interest rates suggest that the market is more confident in this airline’s prospects. For example, United has $23.43 billion in debt (before the offering), compared to American Airlines’ $34.07 billion. Here are the total debt airlines carry:

Ticker Company Cash Total debt (in billions)
AAL American Airlines Group 3,576 $34.073
ALK Alaska Air Group 2,125 $3.903
DAL Delta Air Lines 5,967 $22.971
LUV Southwest Airlines 5,545 $6.349
SAVE Spirit Airlines 894 $3.714
UAL United Airlines 5,221 $23.429

 

Data courtesy of Stock Rover

Curious investors may download a more detailed balance sheet profile and then upload it to track debt/equity changes.

New Mandates

In addition to the U.S. aviation unions asking Congress for another $32 billion “to keep hundreds of thousands of workers employed,” CEOs will meet with the Vice President Mike Pence and other senior officials in the White House.

The companies will need to abide by federally mandated rules that will reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. This includes mandatory temperature checks for passengers and contact tracing of passengers.

The U.S. cannot do anything to stop the European Union from restricting U.S. travelers from entering its borders. Until the U.S. reduces infection rates in such places as Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Nevada, travelers cannot go to countries in the EU.

Delays in re-opening Disney (NYSE:DIS) theme parks in California and Florida are another negative indicator for passenger traffic growth. Still, daily Transportation Security Administration checkpoint travel numbers indicated a steady increase. On June 25, total travelers topped 623,000. Disney stock topped at nearly $130 followed with a downtrend to $109.10. And with its park closed, people who intended to visit Disneyworld will also delay their travel from state to state for now.

Double Bottom at $20

Investors who look at charts as a guide will notice that UAL shares double-bottomed at around $20 in March and in May. Increasing coronavirus cases in the U.S. will inevitably lead to higher death rates. It takes over two weeks for infected individuals to show a worsening condition if they have pre-existing conditions. These figures may force the government to re-impose flight restrictions, hurting passenger traffic.

UAL trades at a price-book ratio of below 0.9. But its debt-equity ratio of 1.88 may increase again. By comparison, Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) trades at a price-book of 1.2 and a debt-equity of 1.19.

Your Takeaway

Investors who take a long-term view may apply the following metrics in a 10-year discounted cash flow model: revenue exit.

Metrics Range Conclusion
Discount Rate 8% – 7% 7.5%
Terminal Revenue Multiple 0.7x – 1.7x 1.2x
Fair Value $35.91
Upside 9.2%

Model courtesy of finbox

Despite the model implying a fair value of ~$36, the stock may keep falling to the $20 level. Still, the negative sentiment will reverse as flight demand improves.

Disclosure: As of this writing, the author did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Chris Lau is a contributing author for InvestorPlace.com and numerous other financial sites. Chris has over 20 years of investing experience in the stock market and runs the Do-It-Yourself Value Investing Marketplace on Seeking Alpha. He shares his stock picks so readers get actionable insight to achieve strong investment returns.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2020/07/what-happens-after-united-airlines-stock-retests-the-20-level/.

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