Airbus Shares Drop Nearly 5% in a Week, Weighed Down by Soaring Oil Prices
The aerospace manufacturer's stock fell 2.78% to 163.48 euros this Friday, amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East affecting the entire sector. Safran, another heavyweight in European aerospace, also fell by 3.05% during the session. The publication of the first quarter results, scheduled for Monday, April 28, is concurrently focusing the attention of traders.
Significant Downtrend for Airbus
The drop in Airbus shares is part of a marked downward trend: the stock has lost 4.83% over seven days and more than 20% over three months. This Friday, the CAC 40 fell by 1.05% during the session to 8,141 points, while the DAX dropped by 0.05%. The surge in Brent crude above $106 a barrel, fueled by military disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, is a direct pressure factor on air transport and, consequently, on the order books of aircraft manufacturers. Sustained high oil prices increase the cost of kerosene, the main cost item for Airbus' airline customers, and could weigh on delivery outlooks if companies revise their fleet plans. This sector risk is combined with inflationary fears that could delay monetary easing by central banks, a scenario unfavorable to capital-intensive industrial stocks.
Operationally, however, Airbus has completed the manufacturing of the first main cargo door of the A350F at its Spanish factory in Illescas, a component now delivered to the final assembly line in Toulouse. The group also announced an agreement to acquire Quarkslab, a French cybersecurity company with about a hundred employees, making it Airbus Defence and Space's second operation in this field in less than a month.
Technical Analysis Perspective
From a technical analysis standpoint, the price of 163.48 euros is significantly below its 50-day moving average (175.08 euros), indicating a bearish trend established over the medium term. Within the Bollinger Bands, the stock is in the lower 27% of the band, close to the lower limit set at 157.54 euros, which indicates persistent selling pressure without immediately signaling an oversold condition. The RSI, at 47, remains in the neutral zone and does not provide a reversal signal at this stage.
The next technical support is at 159.18 euros, a level that will be monitored in case of further decline, while the resistance at 179.48 euros appears distant from the current price. The major upcoming event remains the publication of the first quarter 2026 results, scheduled for Monday, April 28. Operators will scrutinize the evolution of delivery rates, operational margins, and any adjustments to annual forecasts in a macroeconomic environment that has significantly hardened since the beginning of the year.
