Shares in Worldwide Consolidated Airways (LSE:IAG) soared 95% in 2024, making it the very best performer on the FTSE 100. Apparently, in second place was Rolls-Royce Holdings (up 90%), whose engines are utilized by most of the airline group’s planes.

It due to this fact seems as if the airline business is having fun with a post-pandemic resurgence.

Flying excessive

Certainly, the most recent report from the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation is forecasting business revenues to go $1trn for the primary time, in 2025. And because of rising passenger numbers and elevated cargo site visitors — coupled with decrease oil costs — it’s predicting a record-breaking world web revenue of $36.6bn.

It’s an analogous story for Worldwide Consolidated Airways.

Analysts expect a 2024 working consequence (earlier than distinctive objects) of €3.7bn. If achieved, this’d be 13.7% larger than in 2019, the final full yr earlier than Covid arrived.

And for my part, regardless of rising 47% for the reason that begin of October 2024, the shares look to be attractively priced.

Quantity-crunchers are forecasting earnings per share (EPS) of 53 euro cents (44p at present trade charges), for 2024. The inventory’s due to this fact at the moment (3 January) buying and selling on a a number of of 6.9.

Waiting for 2025, this drops to six.3.

Encouragingly, the corporate’s buying and selling replace for the 9 months ended 30 September 2024 contained loads of excellent news. Income, working revenue and EPS had been all larger than for a similar interval in 2023.

And the outlook’s promising. The corporate reported: “Demand remains strong … and we expect a good final quarter of 2024 financially.”

Again down to earth

However regardless of these positives, an funding by me would carry many dangers. That’s as a result of, with the attainable exception of mining, I can’t consider a tougher business during which to function.

As you’d anticipate from a listed firm, the administrators have given loads of thought to the potential threats that the group faces. They usually’ve recognized 57 vital strategic, operational, monetary, and regulatory dangers.

These cowl all the things from elevated competitors and an absence of entry to finance, by to a attainable cyber assault and extended industrial motion by employees.

Trying on the dangers, probably the most related at the moment seems to be potential issues with the provision chain. Points with Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 engine has precipitated British Airways to cancel quite a lot of flights. If these issues persist, I doubt IAG or Rolls-Royce would be the FTSE 100’s star performers in 2025.

Additionally, with 28.3% of working expenditure being attributable to gasoline and emissions prices, any main improve within the oil price may harm the underside line. Sadly, with so many world conflicts, this can’t be dominated out.

What ought to I do?

When an organization’s share price has been on an prolonged bull run, I usually suppose I’ve missed the boat. However on account of its engaging valuation, I nonetheless suppose there’s loads of scope for this share’s rally to proceed.

The common price-to-earnings ratio of 73 listed airways is 8.88. Apply this to Worldwide Consolidated Airline’s 2024 earnings and it might be argued that the shares are 30% undervalued.

And for my part, regardless of the quite a few potential dangers, the airline’s administrators have demonstrated that they’re able to assembly them head on. In spite of everything, they managed to navigate the enterprise by the unprecedented problem of Covid.

I’m due to this fact going to maintain the inventory on my watchlist for once I subsequent have some spare money.