IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/enejou/v46y2025i3p265-284.html

The Effect of Fuel Hedging in the Airline Industry on Returns, Volatility, and on the Return-to-risk Relationship Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Jason P. Berkowitz
  • Kavya S. Dasari
  • R. Jared DeLisle

Abstract

This paper begins with an investigation on the relation between airline fuel hedging and volatility and builds on this idea to consider its effect on the risk and return relationship. The evidence affirms a negative association between an airline’s fuel hedging expense and both its total volatility and idiosyncratic volatility. However, we observe a negative relationship between hedging and the Sharpe ratio, indicating that hedging reduces the return to risk performance. These relationships also appear to be nonlinear as medium or small hedgers can improve their return to risk ratio while large hedgers can reduce their total and idiosyncratic risk. Results indicate large hedgers are effective hedgers while small and/or medium hedgers may be using derivatives more for effective speculation. Employing lagged variables and instrumental variable approaches yield qualitatively similar results. JEL Classification: D81 Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty & G11 Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

Suggested Citation

  • Jason P. Berkowitz & Kavya S. Dasari & R. Jared DeLisle, 2025. "The Effect of Fuel Hedging in the Airline Industry on Returns, Volatility, and on the Return-to-risk Relationship Analysis," The Energy Journal, , vol. 46(3), pages 265-284, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:46:y:2025:i:3:p:265-284
    DOI: 10.1177/01956574251315449
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01956574251315449
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/01956574251315449?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adam, Tim R. & Fernando, Chitru S. & Salas, Jesus M., 2017. "Why do firms engage in selective hedging? Evidence from the gold mining industry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 269-282.
    2. Francisco Pérez-González & Hayong Yun, 2013. "Risk Management and Firm Value: Evidence from Weather Derivatives," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(5), pages 2143-2176, October.
    3. Guay, Wayne & Kothari, S. P, 2003. "How much do firms hedge with derivatives?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 423-461, December.
    4. Hoa Nguyen & Robert Faff, 2010. "Are firms hedging or speculating? The relationship between financial derivatives and firm risk," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(10), pages 827-843.
    5. G. David Haushalter, 2000. "Financing Policy, Basis Risk, and Corporate Hedging: Evidence from Oil and Gas Producers," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(1), pages 107-152, February.
    6. Allayannis, George & Weston, James P, 2001. "The Use of Foreign Currency Derivatives and Firm Market Value," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(1), pages 243-276.
    7. Chris, C. Hsu, 2017. "How Fuel Price Shocks Affect Airline Stock Returns: An Empirical Study Of Major Us Carriers," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 11(2), pages 51-59.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jerome Geyer-Klingeberg & Markus Hang & Andreas W. Rathgeber & Stefan Stöckl & Matthias Walter, 2018. "What do we really know about corporate hedging? A meta-analytical study," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 11(1), pages 1-31, February.
    2. Carter, David A. & Rogers, Daniel A. & Simkins, Betty J. & Treanor, Stephen D., 2017. "A review of the literature on commodity risk management," Journal of Commodity Markets, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 1-17.
    3. Dionne, Georges & El Hraiki, Rayane & Mnasri, Mohamed, 2023. "Determinants and real effects of joint hedging: An empirical analysis of US oil and gas producers," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    4. Georges Dionne & Mohamed Mnasri, 2018. "Real implications of corporate risk management: Evidence from U.S. oil producers," Working Papers 18-5, HEC Montreal, Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.
    5. Markus Hang & Jerome Geyer‐Klingeberg & Andreas W. Rathgeber & Stefan Stöckl, 2021. "Rather complements than substitutes: Firm value effects of capital structure and financial hedging decisions," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 4895-4917, October.
    6. Sriya Anbil & Alessio Saretto & Heather Tookes, 2016. "Does Hedging with Derivatives Reduce the Market's Perception of Credit Risk?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2016-100, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    7. Liu Hong & Yongjia Li & Kangzhen Xie & Claire J. Yan, 2020. "On the Market Timing of Hedging: Evidence from U.S. Oil and Gas Producers," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 297-334, January.
    8. Barbi, Massimiliano & Febo, Valentina, 2025. "Facial masculinity, risk preferences, and corporate hedging," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    9. Mohamed A. Ayadi & Donald A. Cyr & Skander Lazrak & Zhangwei Lu, 2024. "Firm value and the use of financial derivatives: Evidence from developed countries," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3), pages 258-280, July.
    10. Sanghak Choi & Hyeonung Jang & Daejin Kim & Byoung Ki Seo, 2021. "Derivatives use and the value of cash holdings: Evidence from the U.S. oil and gas industry," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 361-383, March.
    11. Samarakoon, S.M.R.K. & Pradhan, Rudra P. & Chathuranga, G.G., 2025. "Financial derivatives usage dynamics in Asia Pacific region," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    12. Markus Hang & Jerome Geyer-Klingeberg & Andreas W. Rathgeber & Clémence Alasseur & Lena Wichmann, 2021. "Interaction effects of corporate hedging activities for a multi-risk exposure: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 789-818, February.
    13. Anbil, Sriya & Saretto, Alessio & Tookes, Heather, 2019. "How does hedge designation impact the market’s perception of credit risk?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 25-42.
    14. Geyer-Klingeberg, Jerome & Hang, Markus & Rathgeber, Andreas W., 2019. "What drives financial hedging? A meta-regression analysis of corporate hedging determinants," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 203-221.
    15. Praveen Gupta & Sushanta Mallick & Deven Bathia, 2025. "Does derivative usage boost firm value in an economy with controls? Evidence from India," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 295-344, July.
    16. Dionne, Georges & Gueyie, Jean-Pierre & Mnasri, Mohamed, 2018. "Dynamic corporate risk management: Motivations and real implications," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 97-111.
    17. Bartram, Söhnke M., 2004. "The Use of Options in Corporate Risk Management," MPRA Paper 6663, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Purnanandam, Amiyatosh, 2007. "Interest rate derivatives at commercial banks: An empirical investigation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(6), pages 1769-1808, September.
    19. Ahtisham Imtiaz & Aqueel Imtiaz Wahga & Syed Fakher Abbas Zaidi & Safyan Majid, 2023. "Corporate Hedging and Stock Market Dynamics: Evidence from PSX," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 12(3), pages 580-586.
    20. Fauver, Larry & Naranjo, Andy, 2010. "Derivative usage and firm value: The influence of agency costs and monitoring problems," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 719-735, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:46:y:2025:i:3:p:265-284. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.