New York, February 19, 2026, 07:24 (EST) — Premarket
Shares of American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) slipped roughly 2% to $14.10 in Thursday’s premarket session. Traders, eyeing a sudden jump in crude, are pricing in fresh fuel-cost risks.
Risk appetite flagged, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures slipping 0.34% and 0.44%, Reuters said, as investors digested earnings alongside escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, pointed to those tensions as “adding a layer of uncertainty,” while firmer oil prices were “dampening sentiment more broadly”. (Reuters)
American on Wednesday submitted its Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website shows. (SEC)
According to LSEG data on Reuters, American’s 2025 revenue landed at $54.633 billion with net income reported at $111 million. The company’s total debt stood at $29.0 billion, while cash from operating activities came in at $3.099 billion, the figures showed. (Reuters)
Oil led the way. Brent rose 91 cents, or 1.3%, to $71.26 a barrel, while U.S. WTI tacked on 90 cents, or 1.4%, hitting $66.09. Both benchmarks hovered near six-month peaks, having climbed more than 4% on Wednesday, according to Reuters. “An already notable geopolitical risk premium” is building, Saxo Bank’s Ole Hansen said. Richard Jones at Energy Aspects noted prices could “further room to rally” if the risk of strikes on Iran increases. The U.S. Energy Information Administration will release official inventory numbers later Thursday. (Reuters)
American has put out a travel alert for Buenos Aires, pointing to “industrial action” as the reason. Customers booked on affected flights can switch to different dates without paying a change fee, so long as they meet the outlined criteria. According to the airline’s website, the waiver applies to flights on Feb. 19, and travelers who rebook between Feb. 18 and Feb. 21—provided they make changes by Feb. 19—are eligible. (American Airlines)
There’s no fresh earnings release on tap, so traders are working off their own models for upcoming costs. Jet fuel tends to follow crude prices, though not right away—and carriers usually have to wait before higher costs show up in ticket prices.
The stock’s quick moves are well known. Airlines typically get a lift when Middle East tensions ease and crude falls. But high oil? That’s a problem—fuel costs start biting into margins, particularly on routes where fares can’t move much.
Next up out of Washington: the House plans to consider aviation safety legislation on Monday, Feb. 23, following that January 2025 crash where an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided, killing 67, according to Reuters. The ROTOR Act, which already passed the Senate, would force operators to install ADS-B — that’s automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, a tracking tech used for aircraft separation — across their fleets by the end of 2031. (Reuters)
