Stifel analyst Joseph DeNardi downgraded Southwest Airlines (LUV) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $60, down from $75. The stock in morning trading is up 7c to $53.55. Southwest is an all Boeing (BA) 737 airline, which makes its business model dependent on 737s, DeNardi tells investors in a research note. Southwest’s decision to remove the 737 MAX from its schedule through early February, a “deteriorating” relationship between the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, and reports that Boeing may be looking at a 737 MAX rate cut indicate that Southwest “may be nearing a tipping point” where the duration of the MAX grounding pushes it to consider more significant and strategic solutions, including acquisitions, DeNardi contends. The analyst believes an acquisition by Southwest motivated by a desire to diversify away from the MAX “creates significant risks” in the near term for the company. DeNardi today also upgraded shares of JetBlue Airways (JBLU) to Buy from Hold.
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