SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) AI Stock Analysis
SKYW AI stock analysis summary
AI ResearchSkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) is a prominent regional airline and aircraft leasing operator with a market cap of $3.55B. Over the trailing twelve months, the company generated $4.19B in revenue with an operating margin of 14.1% and diluted EPS of $10.06. While earnings rebounded significantly to $428.3M in FY2025, recent quarterly earnings growth dropped 12.7% year-over-year.
- Market cap
- $3.55B
- Revenue (TTM)
- $4.19B
- P/E
- 9.1x fwd 9.5x
- 1Y return
- -8.8% S&P 500 16.8%
- Avg. target
- $125.33 37.0% vs last close
Bull case
- SkyWest trades at a trailing P/E of 9.1x and EV/EBITDA of 8.8x, both below the US-listed Industrials peer medians of 24.8x and 13.9x.
- Profitability expanded sharply in FY2025, delivering $428.3M in net income and $10.35 in EPS alongside an operating margin of 15.2%.
- Analyst mean price targets sit at $125.33, indicating potential upside of 37.0% over the last close of $91.51.
Bear case
- Quarterly earnings fell 12.7% year-over-year in the latest quarter ending June 30, 2026.
- The balance sheet carries $2.30B in total debt and $1.70B in net debt, with a current ratio of 0.57.
- Trailing 1-year price performance was -8.8%, trailing the S&P 500 benchmark return of 16.8%.
What SkyWest does
SkyWest, Inc., headquartered in St. George, Utah, operates as a regional airline in the United States through its subsidiaries, primarily SkyWest Airlines and SkyWest Leasing. SkyWest Airlines provides scheduled passenger and air freight services, operating a fleet of 629 aircraft as of December 31, 2021, and facilitating roughly 2,080 daily departures across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Through SkyWest Leasing, the company leases regional jet aircraft and spare engines to third-party operators. Additionally, SkyWest provides airport customer and ground handling services to other airlines throughout its network.
Growth and profitability
SkyWest delivered a 5-year revenue CAGR of 13.8% from FY2020 to FY2025. Annual revenue grew from $2.71B in FY2021 to $4.06B in FY2025, rising 15.0% in the most recent fiscal year. Net income expanded from $111.9M in FY2021 to $428.3M in FY2025, lifting diluted EPS from $3.47 to $10.35 over the same period. Operating margin improved from 10.2% in FY2021 to 15.2% in FY2025. In the trailing twelve months ending June 30, 2026, revenue stood at $4.19B with a profit margin of 9.8%. For the latest quarter, revenue grew 6.5% year-over-year, while quarterly earnings declined 12.7%.
Balance sheet and cash flow
As of June 30, 2026, SkyWest held $601.0M in cash and short-term investments against total debt of $2.30B, resulting in net debt of $1.70B. Shareholders' equity was $2.76B, and total assets stood at $7.41B. The balance sheet shows a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. In FY2025, the business generated $940.4M in operating cash flow and $287.0M in free cash flow, deploying $653.4M toward capital expenditures and $84.9M toward share buybacks, which contributed to a 21.0% reduction in share count over five years.
Valuation and performance
SkyWest trades at a trailing P/E of 9.1x and a forward P/E of 9.5x, well below the median of its US-listed Industrials peers of 24.8x and 17.2x, respectively. Its price-to-sales multiple is 0.9x compared to the peer median of 1.5x, and its EV/EBITDA is 8.8x versus the peer median of 13.9x. The stock has delivered a 1-year return of -8.8%, underperforming the SPY return of 16.8%. Over five years, however, its 85.2% return slightly leads the SPY return of 83.0%.
What analysts expect
Consensus ratings include 4 Strong Buy ratings and 2 Hold ratings from 6 analysts covering next fiscal year. The mean price target is $125.33, implying an upside of 37.0% from the last close of $91.51. For the current fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts estimate revenue of $4.37B and EPS of $10.57. For the next fiscal year, expectations are $4.62B in revenue and $12.12 in EPS. Over the last four quarters, SkyWest beat EPS estimates 2 times. The next earnings date is October 29, 2026.
Key risks and what to watch
- Liquidity risk is heightened by a low current ratio of 0.57 as of June 30, 2026.
- Total debt of $2.30B relative to cash of $601.0M requires ongoing cash generation to service liabilities.
- The stock carries a beta of 1.48, signaling higher volatility than the broader equity market.
- Earnings consistency has fluctuated, with the company beating EPS estimates in only 2 of the last 4 quarters.
AI-generated research summary. Written with AI from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 and checked so every figure matches that data. For information only, not investment advice. Disclaimer
About this SKYW AI stock analysis
This page is an AI-written research summary of SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.
Related: SKYW income statement, SKYW balance sheet, SKYW key metrics, SKYW analyst forecast, SKYW chart. See the SKYW stock overview for the latest quote and news.
SKYW AI stock analysis FAQ
What is SkyWest's ticker and primary exchange?
SkyWest trades under the ticker SKYW on the NASDAQ.
Does SkyWest pay a dividend?
SkyWest does not currently have dividend data reported, focusing capital allocation on capex of $653.4M and share buybacks of $84.9M in FY2025.
What are analysts forecasting for SkyWest's earnings?
For FY2026 ending December 31, 2026, analysts estimate EPS of $10.57. For the next fiscal year, EPS is projected to rise 14.6% to $12.12.
When does SkyWest report its next quarterly results?
SkyWest's next earnings date is scheduled for October 29, 2026.