American Airlines Dipped 2% Last Week. Here’s Why the Stock Could Have Significant Upside to Reach $20 per Share

Wiltone Asuncion4 minute read
Reviewed by: Thomas Richmond
Last updated Jan 26, 2026

Key Stats for American Airlines Stock

  • Price Change: -2.3%
  • Current Price: $14
  • Advanced Model Price Target: $26

The Street targets $17. The Model targets $26. Who is right? Run the numbers on TIKR →

What Happened This Week?

American Airlines (AAL) stock fell 2.3% on Friday, closing at $14 as the broader airline sector faced pressure from rising oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty.

Despite the weekly dip, the company is heading into its 100th anniversary year with significant momentum. CEO Robert Isom confirmed that the airline has successfully navigated a government shutdown scare and is seeing a strong rebound in bookings for early 2026.

Additionally, American continues to execute its fleet modernization, announcing the addition of 3,000 seats to key routes like Charlotte to Chicago to minimize weather disruptions and capitalize on demand.

American Airlines Stock Price Target (TIKR)

See analysts’ growth forecasts and price targets for American Airlines stock (It’s free!) >>>

Is American Airlines (AAL) Undervalued Today?

The bull case for American Airlines (AAL) is built on a “Self-Help” story of balance sheet repair and premium revenue growth.

Furthermore, CFO Devon May highlighted that the company has reduced total debt from a peak of $54 billion during the pandemic to under $39 billion today, with a clear path to reach $35 billion by the end of 2027.

Additionally, this deleveraging is being funded by a structural shift in the business model. The new Citi AAdvantage partnership, launching in January 2026, is expected to generate an incremental $1.5 billion in annual pre-tax income over time.

Simultaneously, American is aggressively courting the premium traveler. The airline is increasing its premium seating capacity by 30% and lie-flat seats by 50% over the next few years, targeting the high-margin “bleisure” segment that has proven resilient to economic cycles.

Read the full American Airlines Transcript on TIKR to see the 2026 “Centennial” strategy >>>

According to TIKR’s Advanced Valuation Model, the market is currently pricing AAL as a distressed asset, ignoring this structural improvement.

  • Advanced Model Price Target: $26
  • Current Price: $14
  • Potential Upside: +79.9%

The model assumes American Airlines (AAL) can achieve a modest 4.2% revenue CAGR through 2030, driven by the new credit card revenue streams and international capacity expansion.

It projects an annualized return (IRR) of 16.1%, significantly outpacing the broader market as the company pays down debt and potentially reinstates capital returns to shareholders.

Conclusion: American Airlines (AAL) is trading at a discount due to its debt load. However, with a valuation model pointing to $26 and a credible plan to fix the balance sheet, the stock offers substantial upside for investors willing to ride out the turbulence.

See the full American Airlines group AAL forecast on TIKR >>>

How Much Upside Does American Airlines Stock Have From Here?

With TIKR’s new Valuation Model tool, you can estimate a stock’s potential share price in under a minute.

All it takes is three simple inputs:

  1. Revenue Growth
  2. Operating Margins
  3. Exit P/E Multiple

If you’re not sure what to enter, TIKR automatically fills in each input using analysts’ consensus estimates, giving you a quick, reliable starting point.

From there, TIKR calculates the potential share price and total returns under Bull, Base, and Bear scenarios so you can quickly see whether a stock looks undervalued or overvalued.

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Disclaimer:

Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or our content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. We create our content based on TIKR Terminal’s investment data and analysts’ estimates. Our analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing!

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