Stock Market Today, July 15: American Airlines Earnings Preview — What Investors Are Watching

American Airlines (AAL) closed at $15.63, down 0.26%, as trading volume surged 83% above average ahead of its July 23 earnings report, with investors focused on demand trends and full-year guidance. United Airlines (UAL) kicked off the airline earnings cycle by beating both earnings and revenue estimates and lifting the lower end of its full-year earnings range, though it warned that Q2 fuel costs jumped 84% year over year and could add nearly $6 billion in expenses for 2026.

Why it matters: The broader market edged higher with the S&P 500 up 0.38% to 7,572 and the Nasdaq gaining 0.62% to 26,269, while Delta (DAL) and United (UAL) both rose roughly 0.5% as investors parsed airline-sector signals ahead of American's readout.