** American Airlines' shares rise 2.2% to $14.32 premarket
** Barclays upgrades rating to "equal weight" from "underweight", lifts PT to $16 from $10
** Six brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher, 13 "hold" and two "sell"; their median PT is $14 - LSEG data
** "We upgrade American ... as balance sheet leverage fades, business travel share has room to improve and the carrier renegotiates co-brand card agreements in 2025" - Barclays
** Brokerage expects North American airlines' competitive dynamics to improve in 2025 after recent industry headwinds led to capacity reductions at many low-cost carriers
** Lifts Delta Air Lines' PT to $90 from $60 and United Airlines' to $150 from $75
** Sees both airlines benefiting from differentiated commercial models focused on travel products ranging from basic to premium offerings, and favorable international exposure driving margins in 2025
** Lifts Alaska Air's PT to $80 from $55 on 'meaningful' accretion from Hawaiian Airlines acquisition
** YTD, S&P 500 Passenger Airlines index rose 52.8%
(Reporting by Aatreyee Dasgupta)
((Aatreyee.Dasgupta@thomsonreuters.com))
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