(Corrects media packaging code to “INDIGO-STOCKS/” from “ICICI BANK-STOCKS”)
(Reuters) -Indian airline IndiGo’s shares fell 8% on Monday, set for their worst session since March 2022, after the carrier said it expects per-passenger revenue to drop following its first quarterly loss in two years.
IndiGo’s shares fell as much as 13.4% to 3,780 rupees earlier in the day.
The airline reported its first quarterly loss in almost two years as higher fuel and aircraft grounding-related expenses weighed.
“Basis the trends of October, we are estimating early- to mid-single-digit moderation in passenger unit revenues for the third quarter as compared to the same period last year,” IndiGo’s chief financial officer Gaurav Negi said on an earnings call Friday.
Investec said it expects a trend of declining earnings at the airline to “persist” as fares inch lower, while costs remain high. The sentiment was shared by analysts at Elara Capital too.
Both brokerages rate the stock “sell”.
IndiGo’s shares are down 25% from the record high they hit in mid-September, with analysts pointing to falling fares and slowing growth.
Up to the September peak, IndiGo’s shares had more than doubled, tracking seven straight quarters of reporting a profit and as the low-cost carrier benefited from pent-up demand for air travel and a lack of competition.
The stock is down for a sixth consecutive session, falling about 19%, trimming IndiGo’s year-to-date gains to 35%.
(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
