Travel and aerospace stocks led gains in London on Wednesday after the US-Iran ceasefire relieved tension across the sector. Wizz Air Holdings PLC (AIM:WIZZ) and easyJet PLC (LSE:EZJ) were among the strongest FTSE 350 performers, rising more than 13% and 10% respectively, while cruise operator Carnival PLC (LSE:CCL) gained close to 10% and British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) advanced 8.5%.
Iamgold (IAG) has an impressive earnings surprise history and currently possesses the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely beat in its next quarterly report.
Airlines and related stocks such as engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.) were lifted higher in early trading on Wednesday as oil prices fell after comments from the US and Iran raised hopes of an end to the war in the Middle East.
The International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) share price has slumped in the past few weeks since the US-Iran war started in February as c,oncerns about soaring fuel costs rose. IAG stock dropped to $349 on Monday, down by 25% from its highest point this year, lagging behind the FTSE 100 Index, which has dropped by 8.25% from its highest point this year.
Shares in airlines and associated industries were hit on Monday as investors buckle up for a longer period of turbulence in air travel markets due to the Iran war, hiking fuel prices and dampening demand On the FTSE 100 British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) and easyJet PLC (LSE:EZJ) were down 2.9% and 2.8%, while Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.), which makes and maintains engines, fell 4.9%.
Airline companies across Europe, including International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) and easyJet PLC (LSE:EZJ) in London, flew higher on Wednesday morning as investors continued to react to the back and forth of the Middle East conflict. Oil prices had softened but only very moderately, after a deal made by Iraq to transport oil across Turkey and avoid having to use the Strait of Hormuz.
IAG share price continued its strong downward trend today, March 18, its fifth consecutive day in the red. It has slumped from the year-to-date high of 463.6p in February to the current 351p, and this trend may continue as the company faces a double whammy of high energy prices and flight disruptions.
International Consolidated Airline Group's Spanish carrier Iberia said on Thursday it plans to lay off up to 996 workers.
IAG and EasyJet share prices have slumped this month as geopolitical tensions continued, pushing crude oil above $100. EasyJet stock dropped to 397p, down by 25% from the highest point in December, and 30% from its 2025 highest point.
Investors have been repositioning sharply across European airline stocks since the outbreak of Middle East hostilities, with Ryanair Holdings PLC (LSE:RYA) emerging as the clear defensive favourite while short positions have built against carriers more vulnerable to elevated fuel prices. This is Citi's analysis of positioning data from institutional investors, with the analysis showing that sector positioning has turned more negative over both the past week and month.
The outbreak of conflict in the Middle East presents International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) and other major European airlines with a paradox: a short-term revenue opportunity that could quickly turn into a longer-term drag if the fighting proves difficult to resolve. That is the central argument in a new note from JPMorgan, which looked back at previous geopolitical shocks including the Gulf wars, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict to assess how the current situation might play out for carriers such as IAG, Ryanair Holdings PLC (LSE:RYA) and Lufthansa (ETR:LHA).
One of the standout performers in the gold mining space this year, IAMGOLD (NYSE:IAG), has seen its shares jump 28.38% year-to-date and an extraordinary 273% over the past twelve months.