Shares of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings rallied 3.1% toward a three-year high in premarket trading Wednesday, after the provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services reported first-quarter profit and revenue that rose above expectations, as strong demand for airfreight helped lift yields above typical seasonal levels. Net income rose to $89.9 million, or $3.05 a share, from $23.4 million, or 90 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding nonrecurring items, adjusted earnings per share grew to $2.45 from $1.15, beating the FactSet consensus of $1.78. Revenue increased 33.8% to $861.3 million, above the FactSet consensus of $822.7 million, as volumes rose 20.9% to 88,523 block hours. The company expects second-quarter revenue of $950 million, compared with the FactSet consensus of $808 million, flying about 90,000 block hours and adjusted net income increasing by about 30%. The stock, which is on track to open at the highest prices seen during regular-session hours since July 2018, has run up 27.7% year to date through Tuesday, while the S&P 500 has advanced 10.9%.
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