EasyJet share price pulled back by over 2% on Tuesday after the company published its full-year results. These numbers demonstrated that the aviation industry was doing well as Covid-19 restrictions eased. The EZJ stock retreated to a low of 374p, which was relatively lower than November’s high of 427p. It remains about 38% above the lowest level this year.
Flying demand rebounds
EasyJet business did well in FY22 as demand bounced back. The company carried over 69.7 million people, a significant increase from the previous year’s 20.4 million. Load factor increased from 72.5% to 85.5% while revenue per seat increased from 50.54 pounds to 66.23 pounds, respectively.
In total, EasyJet’s group revenue rose to £5.76 billion from £1.48 billion a year earlier. Its closely watched EBITDAR figure jumped from a loss of £551 million to a profit of £569 million. In total, losses narrowed from £1.036 billion to £208 billion.
These results show that the regional aviation industry is bouncing back rapidly this year. This is also demonstrated by the recent traffic highlights in ky airports in Europe. While fuel costs rose sharply during the financial year, hedging provided some relief for the company. Further, trends are favorable for the firm since the average hedge rate for the H1’23 is $814, lower from what it paid in the previous financial year.
So, is EasyJet a good airline stock to buy? As I wrote on Monday, EasyJet is a well-managed regional airline that has a good market share in western Europe. It has a good reputation among customers and its business is showing strong performance. This is evidenced by the robust holiday bookings the firm has made.
Further, EasyJet has a strong balance sheet, which is better than that of most companies in the industry. It has also become a possible acquisition target, making it a good speculative buy.
EasyJet share price forecast
The four-hour chart shows that the EasyJet stock price has been under intense pressure in the past few days. It has dropped from November’s high of 432p to 382p. On a positive note, the stock has formed a cup and handle pattern, which is a bullish sign. The recent decline is part of the handle pattern.
The stock has retreated below the 25-day and 50-day moving averages while the MACD has formed a bearish divergence pattern. Therefore, in the longer term, I suspect that the shares will resume the bullish trend as buyers target the key resistance at 432p. A drop below the support at 370p will invalidate the bullish view.
