Southwest's 4Q Profit Rises On Lower Fuel Spending

DALLAS (AP) -- Southwest Airlines is making more money thanks to a lower fuel bill and higher average fares.

The company said Thursday that fourth-quarter net income was $212 million, up from $78 million a year earlier.

The airline says that excluding special items it earned 33 cents per share. Analysts were expecting 29 cents per share, according to a FactSet survey. Revenue is up 6.1 percent to $4.43 billion, above analysts' forecast of $4.39 billion.

The increase in net income can be credited to a 9.2 percent drop in fuel spending, a savings of $138 million. Labor costs are up 7.3 percent, however.

The average fare on Southwest is $156.05 each way, up $8 or 5.4 percent from a year earlier.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Latest News:

Top Trending:

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.