Airline and other travel stocks fell Tuesday after U.S. authorities called for a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson‘s Covid-19 vaccine due to rare reports of blood clotting.
The Food and Drug Administration asked states to halt use of the single-dose vaccine after six people in the U.S. developed a rare blood clotting disorder after receiving the shot. J&J said “no clear causal relationship” has been identified between the blood clots and the vaccine and said it is working with regulators to assess the issue.
The recommendation comes just as airlines and other travel companies have reported improvement in bookings after coronavirus cases fell from the peak earlier this year and more people are vaccinated.
Shares of Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were each down more than 2% in premarket trading. American Airlines shares were off nearly 3%. The Fort Worth-based carrier on Tuesday estimated its first-quarter revenue was 62% lower than during the first quarter of 2019.
It expects to post a net loss of $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion, excluding federal payroll aid for the sector. The airline said its daily cash burn in the quarter averaged about $27 million a day, including $9 million a day in debt and severance payments, below the $30 million it previously estimated.
Cruise operator Carnival was down more than 2%, while Marriott and Hilton were each down 1%.