Sector Snap: Airlines shrug off oil price jump

MINNEAPOLIS — Airline investors didn’t seem to mind that oil prices jumped on Tuesday.

Airline shares have often moved opposite of oil prices, since jet fuel is one of an airline’s biggest expenses. But on Tuesday, airline shares moved only slightly, even as crude prices jumped to $71.30 a barrel after settling just above $68 on Friday.

Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc. fell 9 cents to $7.30 in afternoon trading. American Airlines parent AMR Corp. rose 11 cents, or 2 percent, to $5.75, while United Airlines parent UAL Corp. was up 2 cents at $6.33. Continental Airlines Inc. rose a nickel to $13.75, and US Airways Group Inc. rose 4 cents to $3.42.

Among the discounters, Southwest Airlines Co. fell 3 cents to $8.57, AirTran Holdings Inc. gained 4 cents to $6.60, and JetBlue Airways Corp. fell 16 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $5.79.