International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) and Wizz Air Holdings PLC (AIM:WIZZ) are at the sharp end of a deeply divided market, according to new positioning data published by Citi.
Shares in the British Airways parent climbed 1.47% to 448.4p on Wednesday, while the budget airline gained 1.84% to 1,105p, despite the broker highlighting increasingly debated investor sentiment across the European aviation sector.
At the heart of the update is a stark divergence in sector crowding, with the City bank pointing out that Wizz Air remains a stubborn 'consensus short' among major European carriers.
That positioning stands in direct contrast to IAG, which currently sits among the most crowded long trades alongside Ryanair Holdings PLC (LSE:RYA) and Air France-KLM (OTC:AFLYY).
Those longer bets have improved most strongly for the French-Dutch group over the past month, even as broader industry metrics show short and long crowding rising simultaneously.
In the same note, Citi flagged significant incoming client questions on Ryanair, driven by recent share price underperformance and mounting concerns around near-term and medium-term margin risks.
Those same margin fears are dragging on Lufthansa, which currently shares the 'consensus short' quadrant directly alongside Wizz Air.
Sentiment on the German flag carrier is becoming more debated, with both bullish and bearish trading metrics rising firmly across the month.
The ultimate test for the sector is whether the increasingly crowded long positioning in IAG and Ryanair can successfully weather those looming near-term and medium-term margin risks currently spooking investors across the broader European market.
