Yesterday, United Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of UAL Corp. (UAUA) announced preliminary mainline traffic results for September. The company reported mainline passenger load factor of 81.2%. Total scheduled mainline revenue passenger miles (RPMs) decreased 1.1% on a capacity decrease of 3.7% in scheduled mainline available seat miles (ASMs) compared with the same period in 2008.   The airline has been threatened by volatile oil prices, increased competition, increasing maintenance expenses and a disgruntled workforce. During the second quarter, the company initiated a fleet modernization review to replace its older fleet types. This process could present a unique opportunity for the company to improve its cost structure and fleet strategy.   United Airlines is taking appropriate actions to respond to the current economic environment as indicated by its significant capacity reductions. However, consolidated passenger revenue per ASM was also down 1.1% and 3.7% during September.   In order ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 7, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Moody’s Investor Services (MCO), American Tower Corp (AMT), Crown Castle International (CCI), SBA Communications Corp (SBAC) and US Airways (LCC).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Moody's Upgrades American Tower

Moody’s Investor Services (MCO) has upgraded the rating of American Tower Corp (AMT) senior unsecured debt. So far, this paper has been given a “Ba1" rating by Moody’s which implies a junk corporate rating and probability of

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Yesterday, US Airways (LCC) announced preliminary mainline traffic results for Sept. 2009. The company reported a drop in mainline passenger load factor to 79.3% from 80.1% last year. Total scheduled mainline revenue passenger miles (RPMs) decreased 1.6% to $4.6 billion on a capacity decrease of 0.6% in scheduled mainline available seat miles (ASMs), compared with the same period in 2008. Consolidated (mainline and express) passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) decreased approximately 15%, versus the same period last year, while total revenue per available seat mile decreased approximately 14% on a year-over-year basis. The airline has been struggling with volatile oil prices, increased competition and decline in travel. The company has taken aggressive action to address the weakening demand by reducing capacity, introducing additional revenue streams, and prudently cost control. However, consolidated PRASM was also down 1.2%  during September. In order to maintain liquidity flexibility, ...

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways announced that it expected revenues to grow 24% to $3.1 billion this year as the company takes deliveries of 11 aircraft and boosts passenger numbers by adding at least six new routes.  “We are taking a bullish approach in 2009 despite tough market conditions,” Etihad Chief Executive James Hogan noted.  There are risks, there’s a global recession and we are seeing weakening currencies, softening demand worldwide, volatile oil prices.  But 2009 and 2010 are also years for Gulf airlines to continue to grow.”

That said, world airlines are set to lose $4.7 billion in 2009 as a result of shrinking passenger and cargo demand, industry body IATA said. The International Air Transport Association had estimated in December the industry would lose $2.5 billion in 2009. “The state of the airline industry today is grim. Demand has deteriorated much more rapidly with the economic slowdown than could

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In sports, championship-caliber teams all have at least one characteristic in common: They’re able to focus on the fundamentals.

With the U.S. unemployment rate jumping to its highest level  in a quarter century in February, it’s become abundantly clear that that the U.S. recession is much deeper than President Barack Obama anticipated, meaning it’s likely that additional measures will be undertaken to arrest the slide and restart growth.

Many experts are now calling for the Obama administration to focus on the fundamentals – fundamental economics, that is. They want him to drop some of its ancillary pet projects – such as healthcare reform – and are telling President Obama to focus all his time and the government’s resources on three things:

Arresting the economy’s slide. Hastening its subsequent rebound. And fixing the U.S. banking system.

A focus on anything else is just a diversion and is a waste of time – especially because  there are

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In sports, championship-caliber teams all have at least one characteristic in common: They’re able to focus on the fundamentals. With the U.S. unemployment rate jumping to its highest level  in a quarter century in February, it’s become abundantly clear that that the U.S. recession is much deeper than President Barack Obama anticipated, meaning it’s likely that additional measures will be undertaken to arrest the slide and restart growth. Many experts are now calling for the Obama administration to focus on the fundamentals – fundamental economics, that is. They want him to drop some of its ancillary pet projects – such as healthcare reform – and are telling President Obama to focus all his time and the government’s resources on three things: Arresting the economy’s slide. Hastening its subsequent rebound. And fixing the U.S. banking system. A focus on anything else is just a diversion and is a ...

Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) said today that it will stand by its planned capital spending range as it aims to invest between $25 billion and $30 billion annually over the next 5 years.

The oil producer's latest move comes as a surprise considering the current economic climate as well as the volatile oil prices that has declined over 70% since last summer.

Exxon Mobil expects capital spending to reach $29 billion in the current year. In 2008, the company's capital spending stood at $26 billion.

A month earlier, the Texas-based Exxon Mobil broke its own record for a U.S. company, by posting a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008.

Shares of the Zacks #3 Rank ("Hold") stock are down more than 4% today.

"XOM" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?Zacks Investment Research

When oil hit $147 a barrel this summer, hedge funds were feeling the heat as big media and big government pointed to the speculators as the real culprit in the price run-ups. The only people who weren’t complaining about oil hedge-fund traders, it seemed, were investors who held shares in clean-energy companies. But times have changed…

The higher oil rose, the more valuable their green portfolio grew. Making money in alternative energy was a fait accompli.

Well, the wheel has turned, pretty quickly in fact, so now the green contingent can blame those dastardly hedge funds for their own reversal of fortune.

The credit crunch has forced many hedge funds to get out of the oil trading business. While it’s difficult to say exactly how much oil inventory hedge funds controlled in the heydays of 2008, today their influence has waned along with tighter credit.

When we talk about oil and the laws of supply

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