Southwest Airlines’ third-quarter forecast falls short as fuel bill climbs

Southwest Airlines announced a 9.4% increase in second-quarter net income compared with the previous year, reaching $233 million or 47 cents per share. The airline’s revenue climbed 16.4% to $8.4 billion during the period. However, the Dallas-based carrier’s forward guidance disappointed market participants, forecasting third-quarter adjusted earnings of 50 cents to 75 cents per share, below the 82 cents that analysts had projected.
The airline anticipates third-quarter sales will r