Stock Spotlight: Expect long-haul recovery as IAG set to suffer more turbulence

Beginning to recover

British Airways' parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) is “beginning to emerge from the exceptional storm” and could “edge towards profitability this year”, according to several industry commentators, although others warn there is too much uncertainty to buy into the stock now and it is a “longer-term recovery story”.

Over the past year, IAG's shares have plummeted by 40% as the airline industry remained victim to Covid-related travel restrictions. But as bans on flying were lifted and consumer confidence returned, rocketing oil and gas prices and - most recently the Ukraine crisis - continue to weigh heavily on the company.  The firm's results at the end of last month painted a relatively sanguine picture; while the easing of Covid restrictions meant its passenger capacity increased by 58% relative to 2019 levels in Q4 last year, capacity only reached 36.1% over the course of the entire year. This le...