One analyst said airline stocks were simply tracking the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> and the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> -- up 2.3 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. airline shares vaulted higher alongside the broader stock market on Tuesday with AMR Corp <AMR.N>, parent of American Airlines, gaining more than 9 percent.
One analyst said airline stocks were simply tracking the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> and the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> -- up 2.3 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.
"I think it's the overall market being up," said Jim Corridore, equity analyst at Standard & Poor's. "The entire market is giddy about the prospects of the economy improving."
The Amex airline index <XAL> was up 2.7 percent.
!ADVERTISEMENT!AMR was up 8.1 percent at $9.75 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange. UAL Corp <UAUA.O>, parent of United Airlines, was up 5 percent at $22.61 on Nasdaq. Delta Air Lines <DAL.N> rose 7 percent to $9.20 on the NYSE.
(Reporting by Kyle Peterson; Editing by Braden Reddall)