--- title: "Lufthansa’s ITA Majority Bid Tests Earnings Recovery And Integration Risks" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286324302.md" description: "Lufthansa plans to acquire an additional 49% of ITA Airways, raising its stake to 90%, aimed at integrating the Italian carrier into its group. The deal, pending regulatory approval, is expected to enhance Lufthansa's earnings. Currently, Lufthansa's stock trades at €8.13, showing mixed performance. The acquisition could reshape its position in European aviation, but poses integration risks amid ongoing losses. Investors should monitor regulatory responses, integration progress, and potential impacts on profitability and cash flow." datetime: "2026-05-13T22:11:37.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286324302.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286324302.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286324302.md) --- # Lufthansa’s ITA Majority Bid Tests Earnings Recovery And Integration Risks - Lufthansa plans to exercise its option to acquire an additional 49% of ITA Airways, lifting its stake to 90%. - The deal is structured as a capital injection into ITA and is intended to support a larger integration of the Italian carrier into the Lufthansa Group. - The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is described as potentially accretive to Lufthansa’s earnings once completed. For investors watching XTRA:LHA, this move comes at a time when the stock trades around €8.13, with a mixed performance profile. The share price is up 4.7% over the past 30 days and 29.8% over the past year, while the year to date return is down 5.3% and the 3 year return is down 3.4%. Over 5 years, the stock is up 20.3%, giving a sense of how sentiment around Lufthansa has shifted over different time frames. The planned majority stake in ITA Airways could reshape Lufthansa’s position in European aviation, with potential implications for route reach, capacity planning, and competitive dynamics. Investors may focus on how regulators respond, how quickly integration progresses, and how the earnings impact ultimately develops. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Deutsche Lufthansa by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Deutsche Lufthansa. XTRA:LHA Earnings & Revenue Growth as at May 2026 We've flagged 1 risk for Deutsche Lufthansa. See which could impact your investment. This planned majority stake in ITA Airways sits alongside Lufthansa’s broader push to sharpen its full service offering and earnings mix. On one side, the deal increases exposure to Italian demand, slot-constrained airports and long haul feed that can matter when competing with Air France KLM and IAG for high value traffic. On the other, it adds another layer of integration work at a time when Lufthansa is still reporting quarterly losses, such as the €665m loss in Q1 2026, and is rolling out premium projects like the Future Onboard Experience across cabins. For you as an investor, the key question is whether the ITA capital injection and future integration can support group profitability without stretching cash flows, especially with a dividend that analysts have flagged as not well covered by free cash. How efficiently Lufthansa aligns fleets, networks and revenue management between ITA and the rest of the group will influence how this consolidation move ultimately filters through to earnings quality. ### How This Fits Into The Deutsche Lufthansa Narrative - The ITA deal aligns with the narrative that acquisitions and network expansion can support long term competitiveness when combined with fleet modernization and premium-service upgrades. - It also tests concerns in the narrative that complex integrations and higher capital needs could limit margin progress in a sector already facing rising costs and regulatory pressure. - The timing, valuation terms and eventual synergy delivery from a 90% ITA holding are not fully captured in the existing narrative and may change how investors think about Lufthansa’s multi brand structure. Knowing what a company is worth starts with understanding its story. Check out one of the top narratives in the Simply Wall St Community for Deutsche Lufthansa to help decide what it's worth to you. ### The Risks and Rewards Investors Should Consider - ⚠️ A larger ITA position adds integration and execution risk at a time when Lufthansa is still working through losses, which could weigh on margins if cost and capacity plans slip. - ⚠️ Additional capital tied up in ITA may limit flexibility if fuel costs, labor expenses or regulatory charges move against the wider group. - 🎁 A 90% stake can give Lufthansa more control over capacity, pricing and scheduling between Italy and its hubs, which may support revenue quality versus peers such as Air France KLM and IAG. - 🎁 If integration is handled tightly, shared fleets, joint procurement and aligned commercial systems could support the broader turnaround effort and help spread fixed costs over a larger network. ### What To Watch Going Forward From here, focus on regulatory milestones, any updated timelines for closing the ITA deal and comments around expected synergies or one off integration costs. Track how management balances ITA related investment with cash generation after reporting a Q1 2026 loss of €665m, and whether guidance commentary links the transaction to changes in leverage, dividend cover or fleet plans. It is also worth watching how competitors respond on Italy related routes and whether Lufthansa signals further partnership or acquisition activity once ITA is closer to full consolidation. To ensure you're always in the loop on how the latest news impacts the investment narrative for Deutsche Lufthansa, head to the community page for Deutsche Lufthansa to never miss an update on the top community narratives. _This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. **We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice.** It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned._ ### **New:** Manage All Your Stock Portfolios in One Place We've created the **ultimate portfolio companion** for stock investors, **and it's free.** • Connect an unlimited number of Portfolios and see your total in one currency • Be alerted to new Warning Signs or Risks via email or mobile • Track the Fair Value of your stocks Try a Demo Portfolio for Free ### Related Stocks - [LHA.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LHA.DE.md) - [IAG.UK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IAG.UK.md) ## Related News & Research - [Key facts: Lufthansa buys 49% ITA (€325M); 20‑jet order; 2026 split](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286182831.md) - [Analysis-As Iran war jolts Air India, Lufthansa and Cathay pounce on fast-growing market](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286342271.md) - [Iran war fuels record jet fuel prices and airfare hikes](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286651160.md) - [FAA closes probe into airline compliance with shutdown flight cuts](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286943656.md) - [Delhi govt cuts VAT on ATF from 25% to 7% to benefit airlines, passengers](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286646679.md)