Southwest Airlines lifts Q3 revenue outlook, authorizes $2.5 bn share buyback plan

Investing.com -- Shares in Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV ) rose in premarket US trading on Thursday after the low-cost US carrier lifted its third-quarter outlook for revenue per available seat miles.

The company said on Thursday it now expects quarterly RASM, a major measure of pricing power, to be up by 2% to 3% compared to a prior estimate that it would be "flat to down 2%."

Meanwhile, Southwest also laid out a plan to resume a $2.5 billion stock buyback program, reiterating its "longstanding commitment to return value to shareholders."

The updates come as the company is pushing to overhaul its operations in the face of pressure from an activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which has called for management changes following a string of "disappointing" financial returns. Elliott has reported an interest in Southwest worth roughly $1.9 billion.

In a presentation, Southwest said its initiatives to drive growth in income are "well underway," adding that about they are projected to contribute roughly $4 billion to cumulative earnings before interest and taxes in 2027.

Chief executive Robert Jordan is now under particular pressure to restore the firm's long-term profitability. Southwest, which once posted 47 consecutive years of profit, has struggled to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic despite the broader airline industry seeing recently solid demand from travellers.

Dallas-based Southwest's passenger volumes have remain below pre-pandemic levels, while aircraft delivery delays from Boeing (NYSE:BA ) have also weighed on performance. It has also downgraded its outlook at least eight times over the past 20 months.

The group's stock price has now shed about 40% of its value over the last three years.

Southwest has offered some concessions to Elliott's demands, although the activist investor is now planning a special shareholder gathering as soon as next week to discuss its desired changes. Even still, Southwest has continued to support Jordan, saying he is the right leader to oversee a "significant transformation" of the business.

(Reuters contributed reporting.)

Source: Investing.com