United Continental's stock slumps after disclosure of PRASM, margin guidance cut

Shares of United Continental Holdings Inc. dropped 2.7% in premarket trade Wednesday, after the air carrier cut its unit revenue and pre-tax margin outlook for the current quarter, citing the effects of Hurricane Harvey, tensions in the Korean Peninsula, pricing issues and higher fuel costs. The company disclosed in an SEC filing that it now expects third-quarter passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) to be down 3% to down 5% from a year ago, compared with a previous guidance range of down 1% to up 1%. The pre-tax margin outlook was cut to a range of 8.0% to 10.0% from 12.5% to 14.5%, while the guidance range for fuel prices was raised to $1.72 to $1.77 from $1.56 to $1.61. Capacity is now expected to be up 3.0% to 3.5%, compared with a prior guidance of about 4.0%. Chief Financial Officer is scheduled to present the carrier's updated outlook when he speaks at the Cowen & Co. Global Transportation Conference later Wednesday. The stock has tumbled 25% over the past three months, while the NYSE Arca Airline Index has shed 9.6% and the S&P 500 has gained 1.2%.

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