Korean Air Lines Co. shares climbed after South Korea’s largest flag carrier delivered a first-quarter earnings surprise, defying mounting concerns about jet fuel shortages and surging costs amid the Middle East crisis. The airline posted an operating profit of 516.9 billion won ($348.7 million) for the three months ended March 31, up 47% from a year ago, according to a regulatory filing. Revenue ...
Korean Air Lines Co. shares climbed after South Korea’s largest flag carrier delivered a first-quarter earnings surprise, defying mounting concerns about jet fuel shortages and surging costs amid the Middle East crisis. The airline posted an operating profit of 516.9 billion won ($348.7 million) for the three months ended March 31, up 47% from a year ago, according to a regulatory filing. Revenue grew 14.1% to 4.5 trillion won, marking the highest quarterly sales in the company’s history. The company’s stock rose as much as 3.3% in early Seoul trading on Tuesday. The strong results came despite growing signs that Asian countries are stockpiling jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices sharply higher, prompting refueling restrictions for Korean Air and other regional carriers. Read More: Signs of Jet Fuel Hoarding Emerge in Asia on Iran Oil Shock Korean Air’s performance was buoyed by an unusual geopolitical tailwind. While the Middle East conflict rattled energy markets, it also redirected passenger flows: demand on European routes rose 18% as travelers shifted to Asian hubs to avoid Middle East carriers. Revenue from China routes also jumped 19%, benefiting from strained China-Japan relations and warming ties between Seoul and Beijing. Demand from Japan also grew 12%. Notably, Korean Air managed to reduce its total fuel spending by 1% from a year earlier, helped largely by favorable currency rates that helped offset higher oil prices. Despite the strong start to the year, Korean Air struck a cautious tone, pledging to defend profitability against rising fuel costs. It declared “ emergency management mode ” starting April 1, taking steps to cut non-essential spending including marketing expenses and public relations. The company also plans to secure more overseas-origin and transit traffic and boost cargo volumes in high-growth sectors like AI-related hardware and Korean beauty exports, executives said during a conference call on Monday. While the full impact of ...
(RTTNews) - The Indonesia stock market has tracked higher in four straight sessions, advancing more than 520 points or 6 percent along the way. The Jakarta Composite Index now sits just above the 7,500-point plateau and it's expected to see a higher open again on Tuesday. The g
(RTTNews) - The Indonesia stock market has tracked higher in four straight sessions, advancing more than 520 points or 6 percent along the way. The Jakarta Composite Index now sits just above the 7,500-point plateau and it's expected to see a higher open again on Tuesday. The g