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Investing.com -- International Consolidated Airlines Group (LON:ICAG) (IAG) on Friday reported first-quarter operating profit before exceptional items of €198 million, exceeding the company-compiled consensus estimate of €133 million by about 49%.
IAG’s passenger revenue per available seat kilometer (PRASK) increased by 3.2% year-over-year in the first quarter, down from a 6% increase in the previous quarter but ahead of the broader consensus estimates of 1.7%, respectively.
European routes saw a PRASK decrease of 0.2%, while North Atlantic routes experienced a significant 13% increase.
This strong performance in the North Atlantic, was a key support for the results. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets had previously flagged the attractive capacity backdrop on these routes heading into the summer.
Non-fuel unit costs for IAG rose by 8.8% year-over-year in the first quarter, also ahead of the consensus forecasts of 5%.
IAG stated it continues to see "good demand for air travel," with strong performance in Latin America and Europe, and strong demand in the North Atlantic, where premium cabin strength is offsetting some softness in U.S. point-of-sale economy leisure travel.
As of May 6, the airline group reported 80% of its second-quarter capacity was booked, with revenue ahead of last year, and 29% of the second half was booked, broadly in line with the previous year.
IAG anticipates non-fuel unit costs to increase by 4% in 2025, weighted towards the first half, and expects total fuel costs to be around €7.5 billion.
Group revenues for the first quarter reached €7.04 billion, a 9.6% year-over-year increase, with passenger revenues up 6.5%. Cargo revenues also saw a substantial 12.4% year-over-year increase.
IAG’s operating result for the quarter was €198 million, a €130 million increase from the same period last year and ahead of both the company-compiled consensus and RBC Capital Markets’ estimate of €117 million.
The group achieved a 2.8% EBIT margin in the first quarter. Profit before tax was €239 million, higher than the consensus estimates. Profit after tax stood at €176 million, supported by a €134 million foreign exchange translation gain.
Net debt decreased to €6.1 billion from €7.5 billion at the end of fiscal year 2024, resulting in a net debt to EBITDA leverage of 0.9 times, down from 1.1 times at FY24.
RBC Capital Markets maintains an "outperform" rating on IAG, with a price target of GBp 440.
The analysts believe IAG generates higher margins and returns on investment compared to most European airlines but trades at a discount.
They see a stronger outlook for IAG due to a supportive capacity environment in the Atlantic, potential pricing benefits from British Airways’ product measures, and the possibility of further recovery in business travel.