IAG, ES0177542018

International Consolidated Airlines Group stock sits 11.69 percent below its yearly high

Published on 09/24/2026 at 05:53 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

International Consolidated Airlines Group stock posted EUR 16.06 billion in first-half 2026 revenue, up 1 percent year over year. Free cash flow reached EUR 3.34 billion versus EUR 2.41 billion.

Fotorealistisches Flugzeug am Gate bei Sonnenuntergang, Symbolbild Luftfahrt — International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (ES0177542018): fotorealistisches Flugzeug am Gate im goldenen Abendlicht dargestellt, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

International Consolidated Airlines Group (ISIN ES0177542018) closed at GBp 435.30 on the LSE on September 23, 2026, 11.69 percent below its 52-week high of GBp 492.90. The group has also completed the second EUR 500 million tranche of its 2026 share buyback plan, according to Investegate on September 14, 2026.

Buyback reaches its second stage

The company purchased 4,807,257 ordinary shares between September 7 and September 11, 2026, with the shares held in treasury pending cancellation. The transaction left 246,449,669 treasury shares and 4,365,219,858 issued shares excluding treasury stock, according to Investegate.

The completed tranche forms part of a EUR 1.5 billion excess-cash return plan. Together with the first EUR 500 million buyback completed earlier in 2026, the program represents EUR 1.0 billion of announced repurchases.

Revenue grows while margins narrow

International Airlines Group generated EUR 16.06 billion of revenue in the six months ended June 2026, up 1 percent from the comparable period. Operating profit fell to EUR 1.76 billion, and the operating margin declined to 10.9 percent from 11.8 percent, according to Kurums.

The contrast is important for investors: revenue expanded, but profit conversion weakened as fuel costs rose and the group suspended most routes to the Gulf, Israel and Jordan. Management retained full-year operating-margin guidance of 12 percent to 15 percent, while the first-half margin stood at 10.9 percent.

Cash flow supports the capital return

Free cash flow reached EUR 3.34 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with EUR 2.41 billion in the same period of 2025. That EUR 930 million increase gives the buyback plan a stronger cash-flow foundation even as operating profit came under pressure, according to Kurums.

Stock stays below its yearly high

International Consolidated Airlines Group stock closed at GBp 435.30 on September 23, 2026, down GBp 3.80 or 0.87 percent from the prior close. The 52-week range was GBp 332.70 to GBp 492.90, leaving the stock 11.69 percent below the upper end of that range.