BloggingStocks

Options Update: Toll Brothers September Volatility Flat

Paul Foster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Toll Brothers (TOL), Options, Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Toll Brothers (TOL) closed down 50 cents to $16.60. TOL is expected to report Q3 EPS on August 25. September put option implied volatility is at 41, December is at 44; verses its 26-week average of 41, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional near term price movement.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) closed down 58 cents to $10.78. WTI Crude Futures are recently down 1.35% to $74.40 according to Bloomberg. DAL call option volume of 11K contracts compares to put volume of 11K contracts. September put option implied volatility is at 52, December is at 57; near its 26-week average of 53 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Toll Brothers September Volatility Flat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stock to avoid #1 -- Delta Airlines (DAL)

Jamie Dlugosch — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Oil, Delta Air Lines (DAL), Stocks to Sell

I take my absolute return approach to a deeper level by periodically buying and selling positions during the year. In late February, I suggested that investors cover the short position of Delta Airlines (NYSE: DAL) at $6.35 per share.

In my last update of the stocks on this list, I suggested that I would still be a seller of Delta. Shares of Delta did indeed lose value over the last three months. This move coincided with a blast in oil prices. Airlines are already struggling with a weak economy and excess capacity. Rising jet fuel prices make matters worse.

Continue reading Stock to avoid #1 -- Delta Airlines (DAL)

Stock to avoid #1 -- Delta Airlines (DAL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take a pass on these ten stocks

Jamie Dlugosch — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: American Express (AXP), Boeing Co (BA), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Eastman Kodak (EK), United Technologies (UTX), Delta Air Lines (DAL), Stocks to Sell

With such uncertainty, following an absolute return strategy continues to offer investors the biggest bang for their buck. There is no sense in guessing where the market will be down the road.

Instead, buy cheap stocks and sell stocks that are expensive. Then blend the two approaches together in one portfolio and chances are you'll make money.

Even with a huge rally in stocks, the S&P 500 ended the second quarter with a year-to-date gain of 1.78%. That is a vast improvement compared to the 11% loss at the end of the first quarter, but it's a minimal return for taking risk in the stock market.

Investors need to do better -- and they can.

Continue reading Take a pass on these ten stocks

Take a pass on these ten stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q2 to be tough on earnings, but some improvement

Tom Johansmeyer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Forecasts, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Ford Motor (F), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), Nokia Corp. (NOK), Alcoa Inc (AA), AMR Corp (AMR), S and P 500, Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Quarterly earnings could be up year-over-year by the fourth quarter. A low threshold for improvement, as a result of last year's Q3 financial meltdown, could set the stage for the appearance of a recovery, but the ride from here to there will be a difficult one.

Data from Bloomberg and S&P suggests that profits for stocks comprising the S&P 500 Index may be down 21% next quarter. It's still a double-digit blow, but a better result than Q2's estimated 34% -- and far ahead of Q1's 60% year-over-year fall in profits. The driver of a recovery, however concealed by low expectations, is likely to be a combination of unemployment and consumer spending. Last month, we saw unemployment reach a 26-year high, putting obvious constraints on purchasing.

Continue reading Q2 to be tough on earnings, but some improvement

Q2 to be tough on earnings, but some improvement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADTN, CAL, EXFO, JCI, LUV, VAR, CSCO, KMT, EZCH

Laurie Pasternack — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:50:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Cisco Systems (CSCO), Southwest Airlines (LUV), Contl Airlines'B' (CAL), Analyst Initiations, Johnson Controls (JCI), Juniper Networks (JNPR), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Analyst upgrades:

Citigroup upgraded Adtran (NASDAQ: ADTN) to Buy from Hold on expectations the company will benefit from the broadband Stimulus funds.
Morgan Stanley upgraded Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) to Overweight from Equal Weight based on relative valuation and views the company as a "survivor." Additionally, the analyst lowered 2009 industry estimates but believes it is the last cut for the year and is incrementally more positive on the sector.
Morgan Stanley also upgraded EXFO Electro-Optical (NASDAQ: EXFO) to Overweight from Market Weight based on valuation.
Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
Ascent Solar (NASDAQ: ASTI) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
Mechel Steel (NYSE: MTL) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADTN, CAL, EXFO, JCI, LUV, VAR, CSCO, KMT, EZCH

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADTN, CAL, EXFO, JCI, LUV, VAR, CSCO, KMT, EZCH originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMR beats in Q1, shares see a bid

Steven Mallas — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, UAL Corp (UAUA), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR), the parent of American Airlines, reported earnings for the first quarter on Wednesday. Revenues decreased 15%, and on an adjusted basis, the company lost $1.30 per share. According to this source, the market was calling for a loss of $1.62 per share. Since management was able to beat by such a wide margin, Wall Street decided to reward the stock by bidding it up over 20% (that's how the shares were trading at the time I started this article).

Airlines are still having a problem with the economy. Consumers aren't traveling as much, businesses are cutting back on sending executives across country. Indeed, I'm sure the summer months are going to see a lot of vacation plans being eliminated as people decide to stay closer to home.

Continue reading AMR beats in Q1, shares see a bid

AMR beats in Q1, shares see a bid originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyst calls: AMR, DAL, UAUA, RYAAY, BIIB, SHW, EQ, INTU, NYT, GOOG, YHOO ...

Laurie Pasternack — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO), New York Times'A' (NYT), AMR Corp (AMR), UAL Corp (UAUA), Intuit Inc (INTU), Analyst Initiations, Delta Air Lines (DAL), Andersons Inc (ANDE)

Analyst upgrades:

Calyon upgraded major network carriers based on falling oil prices and capacity cuts. The analyst is positive over the next 12 months but cautious short-term given the uncertain economy, and volatile markets and oil prices. AMR Corp (NYSE: AMR) and Delta Air (NYSE: DAL) were upgraded to Add from Neutral and UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA) was raised to Neutral from Reduce.
Ryanair (NASDAQ: RYAAY) was upgraded at Citigroup to Buy from Hold.
Boardwalk Pipeline (NYSE: BWP) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
Cowen lifted Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) to Outperform from Neutral.
JP Morgan upgraded Choice Hotels (NYSE: CHH) to Neutral from Underweight following the better-than-expected Q3 report.
Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART) to Outperform from Perform on valuation, the company's minimal exposure to economic conditions, and expectations for margin improvement and a rebound in organic growth.

Analyst downgrades:

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) and AerCap Holdings (NYSE: AER) were downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.
UBS downgraded Embarq (NYSE: EQ) to Neutral from Buy following the CenturyTel (NYSE: CTL) merger announcement.

Continue reading Analyst calls: AMR, DAL, UAUA, RYAAY, BIIB, SHW, EQ, INTU, NYT, GOOG, YHOO ...

Analyst calls: AMR, DAL, UAUA, RYAAY, BIIB, SHW, EQ, INTU, NYT, GOOG, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newspaper wrap-up: Google has a difficult time getting ad revenue from YouTube

Laurie Pasternack — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, Magazines, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

MAJOR PAPERS:

Corporate advertisers are not flocking to YouTube despite the fact that the video sharing site attracts one billion views a day, upsetting Google Inc's (NASDAQ: GOOG) expectations for a strong revenue stream, according to the Wall Street Journal. Total ad revenue for Google this year will be about $200M from the site, where the company is counting on growth beyond its text ads from Web searches.
A day after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) said it would be interested in reopening talks to acquire some of all of Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) if Carl Icahn's proxy battle succeeds, the Wall Street Journal reported that Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang accused Microsoft of "trying to destabilize" the company "without a real desire to complete a deal".

OTHER PAPERS:

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Comair, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL), is set to cut 300 pilots and 220 flight attendants from its staff. The paper said the layoffs will go into effect in September when Comair cuts its flight schedule as part of Delta's capacity cuts and will affect crew members based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

WEB SITES:

Iran successfully test-launched a long-range version of its Shahab-3 missile, according to Iranian news service Al-Alam. The missile can reach U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf and Israel.

Newspaper wrap-up: Google has a difficult time getting ad revenue from YouTube originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Light flight' is in: High fuel costs mean big changes for airlines, travelers

Joseph Lazzaro — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, Oil

The oil surge, which gives new indications daily that it's evolving into the world's third oil shock, bodes tougher times for airlines, and travelers alike, many analysts agree.

Moreover, those tougher times may propel "creative and avant-garde" ideas and strategies to cope with the more-challenging flying environment, by both airlines and travelers, so says C. Leonard Bauer, independent stock analyst.

American Airlines (NYSE: AMR) took the first, bold - - and controversial - - step in the 'era of new flying rules' by announcing that it would charge passengers $15 each way to check their first bag, The Dallas Morning News reported. American also reduced its flying schedule by 11-12% at the same time.

Bauer said travelers should brace for more a-la-carte changes from the major carriers, and some truly creative ones, at that. "The airlines will be looking at every way to reduce fuel usage and cover those expenses from added weight," Bauer said, "When oil was at $20 a barrel, weight was a cost factor, but now at more than $125 a barrel, it's a going-concern factor. These high fuel costs can and will force some airlines out of business if they can't recover these costs. 'Light flight' is in." Bauer added that he does not have a rating on nor own shares of any airline.

Continue reading 'Light flight' is in: High fuel costs mean big changes for airlines, travelers

'Light flight' is in: High fuel costs mean big changes for airlines, travelers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 May 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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United-US Airways merger would benefit sector, analyst says

Joseph Lazzaro — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:53:00 EST

Filed under: Deals, Consumer Experience, US Airways Group (LCC), UAL Corp (UAUA), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Higher oil prices and the surging aviation fuel costs they imply may reduce the benefits of an airliner merger, such as the potential deal between United Airlines and U.S. Airways, but they don't eliminate a merger's long-term positives, an analyst argued Tuesday.

Further, C. Leonard Bauer, independent stock analyst, told BloggingStocks Tuesday the potential United-US Airways union would benefit the sector in that it would be the second merger this year among major airlines in the United States, also known as the legacy carriers.

Shares of UAL Corp. (NYSE: UAUA), parent of United Airlines, are down 88 cents to $14.10, while US Airways (NYSE: LCC) are down 55 cents to $7.79 in Tuesday trading.

Sector right-sizing

"The deal would take another legacy carrier off the table, after the Delta-Northwest merger, and that can only help the sector from an earnings standpoint," Bauer said. "The United States airline sector leads the league in airline route redundancy and duplicate hubs. This second deal would further tighten the sector."

Continue reading United-US Airways merger would benefit sector, analyst says

United-US Airways merger would benefit sector, analyst says originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 May 2008 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Delta / Northwest merger may create new concept in the skies: profitability

Joseph Lazzaro — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:44:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, Competitive Strategy, Delta Air Lines (DAL)

With Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines said-to-be-close to announcing a merger, according to Reuters, analysts and business executives will closely-evaluate the proposed deal's details, parsing it to see if it is capable of creating something the land of the free hasn't experienced in quite some time: a profitable major airline.

Turning aside (for the moment) points that argue that with the added cost of public subsidies of aviation and aerospace research, it's hard to envision a U.S. airline as ever being truly 'profitable,' independent stock analyst C. Leonard Bauer told BloggingStocks Monday the merged Delta / Northwest could create an assertive airline capable of racking-up revenue, even as it spurs aviation innovation and change.

Continue reading Delta / Northwest merger may create new concept in the skies: profitability

Delta / Northwest merger may create new concept in the skies: profitability originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyst: Delta management / pilot talks could speed Northwest merger

Joseph Lazzaro — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:13:00 EST

Filed under: Other Issues, Delta Air Lines (DAL)

The stalled Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) / Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA) deal talks should regain momentum next week, provided Delta's management makes progress in talks with its pilots, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday (Subscription required).

Further, independent stock analyst C. Leonard Bauer, said that while the Delta / Northwest talks have been stalled at a traditional, formidable hurdle -- pilot seniority and pilot flight schedules -- "the stars now appear to be lining up to get this deal done."

Bauer said that since the talks began, recent data released indicates that the U.S. economy has continued to slow, and is most likely already in a recession -- never a good backdrop for airlines -- which depend on consumer disposable income for a portion of their revenue. Further, oil has resumed its 'regularly scheduled' movement: up, which has increased aviation costs by at least another 10-15%. Or as Bauer put it, "From a fuel cost standpoint, this is no time to fly commercial jets around less than half full." Oil rose $3.71 to $112.21 per barrel -- an all-time high -- Wednesday afternoon after an unexpected decline in U.S. weekly oil inventories.

Continue reading Analyst: Delta management / pilot talks could speed Northwest merger

Analyst: Delta management / pilot talks could speed Northwest merger originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newspaper wrap-up: TPG, others, to invest $5B Washington Mutual

Laurie Pasternack — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:53:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, Magazines, JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Washington Mutual (WM), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

MAJOR PAPERS:

Troubled savings and loan giant Washington Mutual Incorporated (NYSE: WM) will receive a $5B investment from private equity firm TPG and other investors, the Wall Street Journal reported. For now, this eliminates the possibility that it will be acquired by another financial institution such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM).
The Wall Street Journal also reported that music downloading copyright infringement lawsuits against Baidu.com Inc (NASDAQ: BIDU) and Sohu.com Inc (NASDAQ: SOHU) may be heard by a Chinese court.
People close to the situation said that Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) and Northwest Airlines Corporation (NYSE: NWA) have revived merger talks. It is speculated, the Financial Times reported, that weak demand and high fuel costs are urging the airliners back to the table to work out a merger arrangement.

OTHER PAPERS:

Evergreen Solar Inc (NASDAQ: ESLR) is expected to announce today that it will double the size of its manufacturing facility in Massachusetts and add about 350 new jobs as part of its ongoing expansion, according to the Boston Globe.

WEB SITES:

Bloomberg reported that The Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) has been the only major investment bank that has refused to reduce its leverage. In fact, Goldman's adjusted leverage ratio of assets rose to 18.6 at the end of February, from 17.5 at the end of November.

Newspaper wrap-up: TPG, others, to invest $5B Washington Mutual originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyst expects pilot disagreement to only temporarily delay Delta/Northwest deal

Joseph Lazzaro — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Delta Air Lines (DAL)

A disagreement among pilots camps on seniority has led to the cancellation of board meetings regarding a potential Delta Air Lines/Northwest Airlines merger agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday (subscription required).

However, independent stock analyst C. Leonard Bauer told BloggingStocks Friday that he expects the issue to be resolved soon and merger efforts to move forward.

"The pilots' seniority item is always the toughest hurdle in airline talks, so a delay and a few hiccups here is not unusual," Bauer said.

Delta's (NYSE: DAL) shares declined 20 cents to $15.93, while Northwest (NYSE: NWA) fell 70 cents to $16.12 on the news in Friday mid-day trading.

The pilot talks involve two branches of the same Air Line Pilots Association, or about 11,000 pilots, The Journal reported.

Continue reading Analyst expects pilot disagreement to only temporarily delay Delta/Northwest deal

Analyst expects pilot disagreement to only temporarily delay Delta/Northwest deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Airline mergers seen preparing U.S. carriers for new global travel era

Joseph Lazzaro — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:26:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, AMR Corp (AMR), Contl Airlines'B' (CAL), UAL Corp (UAUA), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Is the U.S. airline sector on the eve of another transformation? One analyst thinks it may be, if recent merger rumblings are any indication.

The Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) / Northwest Airline (NYSE: NWA) merger discussions and chatter that Germany's Lufthansa is considering an investment in a potential merger between United (NASDAQ: UAUA) and Continental (NYSE: CAL) suggest to independent equities analyst C. Leonard Bauer that a new commercial aviation paradigm may be up ahead.

"When you look back at the last 30 years, you can say that the 1980s, clearly, was the decade when mergers were needed to meet the demands of the new market, basically the mass consumer market in the U.S.," Bauer told BloggingStocks Wednesday. "Those larger carriers' lowered seat prices led to a huge increase in domestic travel, which helped bring flight travel to the typical citizen."

Continue reading Airline mergers seen preparing U.S. carriers for new global travel era

Airline mergers seen preparing U.S. carriers for new global travel era originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Option update: Continental volatility at 71 on renewed reports of deal talk with UAUA

Paul Foster — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Deals, Contl Airlines'B' (CAL), UAL Corp (UAUA), Options, Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Continental (NYSE: CAL) closed at $28.70 Thursday.

CAL and United Airlines (NYSE: UAUA) are in advanced negotiations and could complete a combination quickly if Delta (NYSE: DAL) and Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA) strike a deal, says Dow Jones.

WTI Crude oil is recently up .12% to $95.57 according to Bloomberg.

CAL March option implied volatility of 71 is above its 26-week average of 58 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option update: Continental volatility at 71 on renewed reports of deal talk with UAUA originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global competition, 2008 election may intensify airline merger talk

Joseph Lazzaro — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:12:00 EST

Filed under: AMR Corp (AMR), Contl Airlines'B' (CAL), UAL Corp (UAUA), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is said to be seriously considering a merger with either Northwest Airlines or United Airline's parent UAL Corp, people close to the matter say, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

According to the Journal, Delta is expected to give CEO Richard Anderson permission to pursue formal mergers talks with both Northwest and United, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Delta shares were down 7 cents to $15.91, while Northwest (NYSE: NWS) declined 22 cents to $15.63, and United (NYSE: UAUA) fell 59 cents to $31.60 amid a broad market sell-off Friday afternoon.

Too many carriers

Many sector analysts believe the U.S. market has too many carriers, and could benefit from two or even three mergers or takeovers. American Airlines (NYSE: AMR) is the largest carrier by traffic, followed by United, Delta, Continental (NYSE: CAL) and Northwest.

Continue reading Global competition, 2008 election may intensify airline merger talk

Global competition, 2008 election may intensify airline merger talk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Airline industry ready for consolidation?

Zac Bissonnette — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: Deals, Rumors, Newspapers, Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

How can a company emerge from bankruptcy and then, just about immediately, start looking for acquisition candidates? Isn't that like heading to The Cheesecake Factory, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE) after the gastric bypass?

And yet Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) CEO Richard Anderson says the company is on the prowl. According (subscription required) to The Wall Street Journal, "Activist shareholders have been stirring the pot, too. Pardus Capital management, a big holder of UAL and Delta, is agitating for consolidation behind the scenes, a person familiar with the matter says. Meantime, an Icelandic investment fund has started pressing for change at AMR, which prompted the U.S.'s biggest carrier this week to say it is exploring options, including the splitting off of its frequent-flier business."

In most scenarios, it's a lot better to be the shareholder being bought out than a shareholder in the company doing the buying. This would appear to be no exception. With more labor-friendly forces likely to be taking control in Washington, and no end in sight to soaring gasoline prices, the airline industry is likely to face major challenges going forward.

Mergers and acquisition have a way of making problems worse, not better.

Airline industry ready for consolidation? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Before selecting a flight, read this: The worst airports in the U.S.

Tom Barlow — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Bad News, Consumer Experience, Internet, AMR Corp (AMR), Contl Airlines'B' (CAL), UAL Corp (UAUA), JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Last week we discussed airline seating, and which airlines were trying to stuff two hundred pounds of American into a 100 lb. bag. This week, thanks to U.S. News and World Report, we consider what airports to avoid.

While most of the time travelers buzz from one terminal to another, barely noting the bad food and overpriced golf clothes for sale along the way, every once in a great while a snowstorm or terrorist attack traps thousands of visitors for days at a time. Where would you rather sleep on the floor?

USNWR's Airport Misery Index, developed in cooperation with The Boyd Group, breaks their subject into two classes, large airports and small. The candidates for the most miserable large airports:

Detroit, MI -- Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW) --Hub --Northwest
Chicago, IL -- O'Hare (ORD) --Hub- American (NYSE:AMR), United (NASDAQ: UAUA)
Charlotte, NC -- Charlotte Douglas Intl (CLT) -- Hub -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC)
New York NY -- Kennedy (JFK) --Hub -- Delta (NYSE: DAL), JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU)
Newark, NJ -- Liberty Intl (EWR) (The airport People's Airlines made famous has brought ignominity upon the Garden State. Ask most people what they know of NJ, and they'll likely refer to the Newark Airport and Tony Soprano, neither favorably.) -- Hub -- Continental (NYSE: CAL)

The best large airports? Apparently, the west has it all over the east.

Oakland, CA -- Metro Oakland Intl (OAK)
Houston TX -- Wm. P. LHobby (HOU)
San Jose CA -- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl (SJC)
Dallas, TX -- Love Field (DAL) -- Hub -- Southwest (NYSE: LUV)
St. Louis, MO -- Lambert Intl (STL) -- Hub -- American

Next -- the nation's best and worst small airports.

Before selecting a flight, read this: The worst airports in the U.S. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

US Airways ups the ante for Delta

Michael Fowlkes — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:13:00 EST

Filed under: Other Issues, Deals, Management, Industry, Consumer Experience, Competitive Strategy, US Airways Group (LCC), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

US Airways Group Inc. (NYSE: LCC) is trying to pull out all the stops in its attempted hostile takeover of Delta Air Lines Inc. by lifting its offer by $1 Billion.

In order for the offer to get lifted, US Airways wants the official committee to request Delta to open itself up for due diligence by US Airways, to have a bankruptcy judge to postpone a hearing next week on Delta's restructuring plan and agree to support the start of a formal antitrust review.

The committee of Delta creditors will have until Thursday to decide if it wants to proceed with the US Airways offer. For now, I would be willing to bet that Delta is not going to go for this current offer and instead decide to follow the advice of its chief executive, Gerald Grinstein, who has repeatedly insisted the airline would be better off to emerge from bankruptcy-court protection on its own later this year

The main reason behind the raise in the current offer can be traced to a meeting between US Airways and some Delta creditors who aren't part of the official committee that advised the Airliner to increase its current bid by $2 billion. Will this be enough to sway some votes in US Airways favor? I doubt it, but we should get a better picture of the current takeover situation over the next few days.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last two years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

US Airways ups the ante for Delta originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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