Founder & Managing Director, AIR Control Tower, AIR Control Tower

Neil Glynn

Founder & Managing Director, AIR Control Tower

AIR Control Tower

AIR Control Tower is an independent research and analysis platform. Its mission is to provide impactful insight and analysis across the global airline industry at a company and market level via detailed financial models to aid decision making for key stake holders at a time when risks have seldom, if ever, been higher and the global sector grapples with the imperative of funding de-carbonisation. Unique analysis forecasting global carrier-level earnings/cash flows, and restructuring/de-leveraging prospects, is designed to dynamically assess the health of the industry, predict surprises and identify potential requirements for third party support.

Insights on the global airline industry

Equity Bottom-Up

Gol Linhas Aereas Intel-Adr / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>We cut our 2024 EBITDAR by 19% following a disappointing May revenue performance at GOL.</li>
<li>We also emphasise that plans to double 2023 EBITDAR by 2029 are highly ambitious in the context of Brazilian competitors LATAM and Azul margin progress since 2019.</li>
<li>GOL, undergoing Chapter 11, is the subject of much consolidation focus with an Azul codeshare and parent Abra discussing combining GOL with Azul. Leverage plans render effective consolidation more difficult. </li>
</ul>


We cut our 2024 EBITDAR by 19% following a disappointing May revenue performance at GOL.
We also emphasise that plans to double 2023 EBITDAR by 2029 are highly ambitious in the context of Brazilian competitors LATAM and Azul margin progress since 2019.
GOL, undergoing Chapter 11, is the subject of much consolidation focus with an Azul codeshare and parent Abra discussing combining GOL with Azul. Leverage plans render effective consolidation more difficult. 


GOL – Short-Term Challenges to Navigate Before Delivering on Complicated Long-Term Pitch

<ul>
<li>GOL recently filed for CH11 bankruptcy protection as it was due to run out of readily available cash in mid-February. We assess the ramifications.</li>
<li>We highlight that GOL may need to reduce aircraft ownership/financing costs by a third to achieve PBT margins of 5%+; difficult in a strong aircraft leasing market.</li>
<li>We see the risk GOL loses scale. However, long-term, an increasingly competitive GOL is good for its parent Abra Group, and sister company Avianca.</li>
</ul>


GOL recently filed for CH11 bankruptcy protection as it was due to run out of readily available cash in mid-February. We assess the ramifications.
We highlight that GOL may need to reduce aircraft ownership/financing costs by a third to achieve PBT margins of 5%+; difficult in a strong aircraft leasing market.
We see the risk GOL loses scale. However, long-term, an increasingly competitive GOL is good for its parent Abra Group, and sister company Avianca.


GOL - Ramifications of GOL's Chapter 11 Filing

<ul>
<li>GOL has filed for CH11 in a New York court and will look to restructure, as major competitors/peers LATAM Group, Avianca and Aeromexico did when COVID struck, disadvantaging GOL.</li>
<li>To illustrate GOL's disadvantage; in 9M23, GOL's financing costs outweighed its EBITDAR to drive a negative PBT, whereas LATAM's PBT represented 29% of EBITDAR, despite lower EBITDAR margins of 22%. </li>
<li>Based on recent precedents, we expect the process may take two years.</li>
</ul>


GOL has filed for CH11 in a New York court and will look to restructure, as major competitors/peers LATAM Group, Avianca and Aeromexico did when COVID struck, disadvantaging GOL.
To illustrate GOL's disadvantage; in 9M23, GOL's financing costs outweighed its EBITDAR to drive a negative PBT, whereas LATAM's PBT represented 29% of EBITDAR, despite lower EBITDAR margins of 22%. 
Based on recent precedents, we expect the process may take two years.


GOL - Chapter 11 Filing In a Bid to Ensure Financial Sustainability

Latam Airlines Group SA / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>LATAM Group surprised the market with strong guidance for 2024 earnings growth following upgrades through 2023. We raise our 2024 EBITDAR 14% to $2.8bn.</li>
<li>A successful restructuring under Chapter 11, and market leadership in key regions, is paying off for LATAM as demand remains robust.</li>
<li>Such a strong recovery positions it to make further strategic gains, particularly with the risk that competitor GOL must shrink its fleet through its own CH11 processs.</li>
</ul>


LATAM Group surprised the market with strong guidance for 2024 earnings growth following upgrades through 2023. We raise our 2024 EBITDAR 14% to $2.8bn.
A successful restructuring under Chapter 11, and market leadership in key regions, is paying off for LATAM as demand remains robust.
Such a strong recovery positions it to make further strategic gains, particularly with the risk that competitor GOL must shrink its fleet through its own CH11 processs.


LATAM Group - Strong Momentum and Strategic Opportunities

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

iShares Russell 2000 ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We discussed last week how consolidation was likely, so far that has played out with the SPX back testing the 4300-4325 area which we anticipated would cap upside for 2023.</li>
<li>We continue to watch short-term support at 4300, and we cannot be bearish if the S&amp;P 500 is above 4300.</li>
<li>The Russell 2000 (IWM) is back to test support at $180; we would expect to see this hold as support, but a failure to hold would mean a trip to $170<span id="autocomplete"><span id="autocomplete-searchtext"></span></span>
</li>
</ul>


We discussed last week how consolidation was likely, so far that has played out with the SPX back testing the 4300-4325 area which we anticipated would cap upside for 2023.
We continue to watch short-term support at 4300, and we cannot be bearish if the S&amp;P 500 is above 4300.
The Russell 2000 (IWM) is back to test support at $180; we would expect to see this hold as support, but a failure to hold would mean a trip to $170



Russell 2000 (IWM) Testing $180 Support; Breadth Remains Constructive; Construction/Engineering Buys

Brazil

Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. provides low-fare, non-stop passenger flight services through its fleet of next generation Boeing airplanes.  The company provides domestic flights in Brazil.

Azul S.A. offers airline services. The Company provides passenger air transportation services by air carriers, assistance for boarding, and cabins for pets, as well as compartments for elderly and disabled passengers. Azul serves customers worldwide.

Movida Participacoes S.A. provides vehicle leasing services. The Company offers passenger car rental, fleet management, adaption, and maintenance services. Movida Participacoes conducts its business in Brazil.

Ecorodovias Infraestrutura e Logistica SA is a road concession group in Brazil. The Groups concessionaires connect the main Brazilian ports to national production and consumption centers.

Valid Solucoes e Servicos de Seguranca em Meios de Pagamento e Identificacao S.A offers commercial banking services.  The Company prints bank checks and account statements, bills, direct mailings, envelopes, promotional material, drivers' licenses, identification documents and security  forms, and telephone, pre-paid, credit and debit, commercial, and smart cards.

Iochpe-Maxion S.A. manufactures vehicle parts.  The Company produces chassis and wheels for trucks and buses, door components, lock cylinders, pedals, hand brake levers, jacks, water and oil pumps, and railroad freight cars and wheels.

Kepler Weber S.A. manufactures, installs, and supports agroindustrial buildings, equipment, and other infrastructure that is used for food storage.  The Company's products include steel silos, grain dryers, grain cleaning machines, conveyors, and animal feed mills.

CCR SA manages highways in Brazil.  The Company also holds an interest in an electronic payment system and a company that inspects motor vehicles, and is part of a consortium that operates one line of the Sao Paulo Metro.

Localiza Rent a Car SA rents automobiles.  The Company owns and franchises locations in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.  Localiza primarily operates through airport locations.  The Company also sells used cars and offers fleet management services.

Rumo S.A. owns and operates rail networks. The Company transports agricultural commodities, chemicals, petrochemicals, construction materials, electronic goods, automotive parts, steel and forestry products, and fertilizers. Rumo serves customers in Brazil.

Star Flyer Inc. operates as an airline carrier in the aviation industry. The Company provides air transportation services for passengers, baggage, and cargo. Star Flyer also offers shuttle services between key Japanese cities.

Jet Airways (India) Limited is an airline providing regular scheduled services on routes between all of India's major cities. The Company has also received permission from the Indian Government to fly to Singapore and Malaysia.

Regional Express Holdings Limited offers scheduled air passenger and freight transportation services within Australia.

Gama Aviation Plc provides business aviation services. The company offers aircraft management services for aircraft owners, such as fuel and insurance, crew, and maintenance services; aircraft chartering services; aero-medical services; and contract air services. It also provides phased or base maintenance, line maintenance, and design and modifications services; fixed base operations comprising parking, hangarage, and fueling, of aircraft and the processing of passengers; rotary maintenance, general aviation maintenance, aviation engineering design, avionics upgrades, and flight training services; and Airops software for third party FBO and flight management departments. It has operations in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East. Gama Aviation Plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Farnborough, the United Kingdom.

Nok Airlines PCL operates as an airline carrier in the aviation industry. The Company provides air transportation services for passengers, baggage, and cargo.

SAS AB offers air transportation services.  The Company operates routes to and from Scandinavian cities for transportation of passengers and cargo. The Company also owns, and partly owns, several regional airlines in the Nordic area.  SAS flies worldwide.

AirAsia X Berhad is a long-haul, low-cost airline based in Malaysia. The Company is an affiliate carrier of the AirAsia Group. AirAsia X offers flights on the Airbus A330-300 aircraft on routes beyond 4 hours flight duration across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is Thailand's national airline providing air transportation, freight and mail services on domestic and international routes including Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and South West Pacific.  The Company is a state enterprise which is controlled by the government and partly owned by the public.

Air Busan Co., Ltd. operates as an airline company. The Company offers international and domestic flight, hotel, and car booking services. Air busan also provides reissuance of ticket, baggage, airport, and in flight services. Air busan offers services worldwide.

Skymark Airlines Inc. provides air transportation services.  The Company's services include scheduled flights for passengers and air courier services. Skymark Airlines conducts businesses in Japan.

Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. provides airline services for passengers and cargo.  The Company offers scheduled air transportation, cargo shipping, flight rescheduling, logistics, and onboard connectivity services. Gol Linhas Ae reas Inteligentes serves customers worldwide.

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Gol Linhas Aereas Intel-Adr (GOL US)

GOL – Short-Term Challenges to Navigate Before Delivering on Complicated Long-Term Pitch

Update on GOL as it navigates Chapter 11 in a swirl of consolidation speculation/possibility. We cut 2024 forecasts due to concerning revenue...

Neil Glynn

GOL - Ramifications of GOL's Chapter 11 Filing

Detailed analysis of the ramifications of GOL's Chapter 11 filing for GOL and Abra Group including Avianca. GOL must reduce financing costs by...

Neil Glynn

GOL - Chapter 11 Filing In a Bid to Ensure Financial Sustainability

Perspective on GOL filing for Chapter 11 in the US, including its disadvantage to restructured peers and the likely timeline based on recent...

Neil Glynn

LATAM Group - Strong Momentum and Strategic Opportunities

With LATAM announcing plans to relist on the NYSE today, we revisit our most recent deep dive on the company's earnings and cash flow prospects and...

Neil Glynn

Russell 2000 (IWM) Testing $180 Support; Breadth Remains Constructive; Construction/Engineering Buys

Russell 2000 $IWM Testing $180 Support; $RTY $SPX Breadth Remains Constructive; Highlighting buy ideas in Services (Research/Consulting &...

Vermilion Research

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