LONDON, June 26, 2026, 13:01 BST
- International Consolidated Airlines Group was at 481.5p/481.7p at 1246 BST, off 1.29% from Thursday’s 488p close.
- LSEG data shows analysts have a median 12-month target of 499.85p, just 2.4% over Thursday’s close. The difference between the highest and lowest targets is almost 48% of that closing price.
- The stock is about 16% higher than the weighted average London price IAG paid during its June 8-12 buyback. Brent crude closed Friday at $72.65.
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LON:IAG) dropped Friday. The stock now sits around 16% above the weighted average price the company paid during its June buyback, filings show. British Airways’ parent spent more per share than shares were trading near the end of the week, according to Friday pricing.
IAG traded at 481.5p/481.7p at 1246 BST, according to AJ Bell, off 1.29%. Shares opened at 484.3p after a prior close at 488p. Year high stood at 492.9p, and the market cap was £21.36 billion as shown by the AJ Bell feed.
IAG ended Thursday up 2.22% at £4.88, hitting a fresh 52-week high. The stock outperformed the FTSE 100’s 0.65% gain. Trading volume was 13.3 million shares, less than the 50-day average of 21.6 million.
The company said to Spanish regulator CNMV it picked up 3.80 million shares in London between June 8 and June 12, at a weighted average price near 414.4p. It also bought 2.30 million shares in Madrid at an average price of around €4.79. The Madrid listing (BME:IAG) was trading at €5.58 at 1345 CEDT, off 1.38%. That’s still close to 16% higher than the average purchase price during the buyback week.
IAG stuck with its plan in May to give back €1 billion of excess cash by the end of February 2027. With shares now trading higher, that cash will buy back fewer shares than it would have at the start of June.
IAG’s latest analyst consensus points show less upside for the shares. LSEG data from Investors Chronicle lists 13 analysts with a median 12-month target of 499.85p, a high at 620.51p, and a low of 387.82p. Ratings break down as five buys, eight outperforms, and one sell.
AJ Bell put the stock at 7.44 times earnings with a 2% yield. The most recent dividend was €0.05, ex-div on June 25, record date June 26, payment on June 29.
IAG is seeing better fuel costs after the last two days. Brent crude slipped $2.61, or 3.47%, to $72.65 a barrel by 1037 GMT Friday, as extra tankers cleared the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters said this week jet fuel dropped from over $170 a barrel to average $119.17 for the week ending June 19.
IAG is already feeling the impact of fuel price swings, analyst Nicolas Owens at Morningstar said. “Profitability can change” fast with sudden moves in fuel because tickets were sold before the shift, he said. IAG has built fuel into its guidance, but first-quarter numbers showed the company now sees lower profit in 2026 than it first planned, even as revenue rose 1.9% and operating profit jumped 77.3% to €351 million. Reuters
IAG Chief Executive Luis Gallego said the airline group is taking “necessary action on yields, costs and capacity”. Management said only about 3% of its capacity was in the Gulf region before the conflict. Much of that network has since been redeployed, according to the company.
Heathrow gave a weaker outlook on Friday, lowering its 2026 passenger forecast to between 80.1 million and 84.5 million from about 85 million before, and warned that adjusted core profit could drop by £147 million from 2025. IAG’s main brands—British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Vueling—use Heathrow as a key hub.
IATA chief Willie Walsh said airlines are “bearing the brunt” of higher fuel costs. The group now sees global airline net profit slipping to $23 billion in 2026, down from $45 billion expected in 2025, with margins falling to 2.0%. IAG has its next earnings set for July 31, when it will report second-quarter numbers. IATA
