CAL/UAL merger statistics

[Andy]

I'd just like to add that there's some serious bad juju happening in the long bond market right now. If the yields keep climbing like they have recently, we may very well be done with mergers in this cycle - that's because investment capital is going to become nonexistant. So all of this may be moot if airlines can't find any additional capital for mergers.

The upshot of this for the consumer is that 30 year fixed rates for mortgages are going to continue to rise. And that's not going to be good for the airline industry.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

CAL Continental Air profiled in Inside Wall Street section of Business Week (17.68 )

Business Week reports now that Northwest and Delta airlines have agreed to merge, expect more deals to take off. "In 30 days it is likely Continental Airlines (CAL) will either acquire or merge with UAL (UAUA)," says Vincent Carrino, president of sBrookhaven Capital Management, which has accumulated shares of both. The surging price of oil has wreaked havoc on the airlines' earnings and sunk their stock. Carrino says the big impetus for consolidation is to let the airlines slash capacity (number of flights and seats) by 10% and boost fares to cope with the rising price of oil, which hit $119 a barrel on Apr. 22. Carrino predicts UAL will be the surviving company, with Continental's management taking charge. Both airlines have a solid foothold overseas, especially in Asia,