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LTMLATAM Airlines Group S.A.Sell6.8·$56.43-0.84%
LTM · Why this verdict

Why LATAM Airlines Group (LTM) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score6.8/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

Four consecutive quarters of positive earnings surprises averaging roughly 35% above consensus — including a 70% beat in the most recent period — demonstrate a consistent and widening pattern of outperformance against market expectations across multiple operating environments.

Stable
Earnings
Expectation
The beat streak extends through the next two reported quarters with average positive surprises above 10%.

CounterAirline earnings are highly sensitive to fuel costs, currency movements, and demand cycles; one-time tailwinds could inflate near-term beats without reflecting durable operating leverage that would sustain the pattern.

At a forward P/E of 8.1x and a PEG of 0.11, the stock screens as deeply attractively valued relative to its earnings growth rate of 22% year over year — offering meaningful room for multiple expansion if the growth trajectory holds.

Stable
Valuation breakdown
Expectation
Forward earnings estimates increase over the next two reported periods, keeping the forward P/E below 12x as earnings grow at 15% or more year over year.

CounterA debt-to-equity ratio of 4.4 constrains the quality of the earnings base and limits the multiple the market will award; the low forward P/E may reflect a leverage discount rather than an overlooked opportunity.

Revenue is growing at 22% year over year, corroborated by rising on-balance volume and a price above the 200-day moving average — broad-based indicators that the market is recognizing and pricing the growth in real time.

Stable
Growth breakdown
Expectation
Revenue growth stays above 15% year over year for the next two reported quarters.

CounterAirlines face volatile demand patterns; a softening in passenger volumes or yield compression from competitive capacity additions could compress revenue growth rapidly from current elevated levels.

A debt-to-equity ratio of 4.4 carries a material penalty to balance-sheet quality, leaving limited financial cushion if cash flows soften and raising the risk of refinancing pressure or covenant constraints in a slower-growth environment.

Stable
Bear case
Expectation
Debt-to-equity declines toward 3.0 over the next four quarters as strong cash generation is applied to debt reduction.

CounterAccelerating earnings at 22% year-over-year growth and a perfect four-quarter beat streak may organically deleverage the balance sheet without requiring external financing, reducing the practical impact of current leverage levels.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

LATAM Airlines is executing with exceptional precision — a perfect four-quarter beat streak averaging roughly 35% above consensus including a 70% positive surprise most recently, against 22% year-over-year earnings growth at a forward P/E of 8.1x — but a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.4 is the primary financial vulnerability if the growth runway shortens.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

8.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E9.0
P/S9.6
EV/EBITDA8.4
Fwd P/E9.5
PEG10.0
Analyst target6.0
  • Forward P/E: 8.2x
  • PEG: 0.12
  • Attractively valued

Quality

5.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE10.0
ROA6.2
Gross margin2.0
Op margin8.0
Net margin5.6
Current ratio2.7
FCF quality6.1
Moat6.0
Piotroski F6.7
  • Excellent ROE: 118%

Growth

9.0/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth8.0
EPS growth10.0
  • Strong growth: 22% YoY

Momentum

5.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI4.4
MACD10.0
OBV1.0
MA position9.0
Volume2.1
  • Overbought (RSI 72)
  • Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

7.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating8.2
Price target8.2
erm sentiment5.0
  • Light analyst coverage (10.0) — signal dampened
  • Analyst upside: 25%

Insider

5.0/10data confidence 50%

Peer rank

6.5/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank3.9
quality rank8.4
growth rank8.8
  • Superior ROE vs peers
  • Industry growth leader

Technical

4.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger3.4
support resistance2.0
52w position6.0
gap6.0

Risk (lower is worse)

6.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest9.2
days to cover7.6
volatility3.5
put call9.9
implied vol3.0
beta8.4
debt equity0.6
  • High IV: 62%

Catalyst

7.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history10.0
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg10.0
dividend safety6.5
  • Perfect beat streak: 4Q
  • Dividend: 271.0%

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (7)
  • MOMENTUM:5.3>=4.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:30d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • ASYMMETRY:0.6<1.5@spot
Warning (1)
  • MOMENTUM:5.3<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
Reward-to-Risk
0.61
Upside
+9.1%
Downside
15.0%
Sizing output
AVOID

Setup No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeNo clear edge No clear edge identified

SuitabilityModerate Balanced profile

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 5.3 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Growth at 9.0) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( ASYMMETRY:0.6<1.5@spot) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is 0.61 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 9.0, Value at 8.7, and Sentiment at 7.3; the weakest are Technical at 4.3, Insider at 5.0, and Momentum at 5.3. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate with 1 warning, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 0.61 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Exceptional Earnings Beat Streak

    Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P2Attractive Valuation Growth Franchise

    Trip ifForward P/E expands above 16x without a commensurate increase in forward earnings estimates.

  • P3Strong Revenue Growth Momentum

    Trip ifRevenue growth falls below 10% year over year for 2 consecutive reported quarters.

  • P4High Leverage Financial Risk

    Trip ifNet debt-to-EBITDA exceeds 5x for 2 consecutive periods.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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