“We believe bad news is good news for airlines,” Holmes said. It offers an “opportunity to improve customer experience.”
Low oil prices have also helped cut down airline costs or improve revenue. Some airlines have even entered into the energy segment to better control costs – in an attempt to address fuel costs, Delta Air Lines acquired its own refinery in 2012.
Investors may enjoy a yield-generating opportunity with the airline industry ahead. For example, the benchmark Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index has exhibited a 20.1% 1 year dividend yield growth, compared to the -3.4% 1-year yield contraction in the Dow Jones Transportation Index.
The airline industry is trading at more attractive valuations relative to the broader equity markets. The Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index shows a 9x price-to-earnings ratio, compared to the 16x for the Dow Jones Transportation Index and 22x for the S&P 500.
Related: Transportation ETFs are Delivering, Especially Airline ETF
Investors interested in flying with the airline industry can consider the U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSEArca:JETS), the lone ETF dedicated to airline stocks. The ETF follows a kind of smart beta indexing methodology that allocates about 12% to the top four domestic airlines, followed by a 4% tilt toward the next five domestic airlines, 3% position in the next four domestic airline industry companies and lastly a 1% weight in the top 20 foreign airline industry companies.
Financial advisors who are interested in learning more about summertime investments can watch the webcast here on demand.