UBS: Bizjet Market Still Stuck in Neutral
The overall index was driven lower by weaker customer interest, softer pricing and muted 12-month outlook.
According to UBS, the midsize segment, which includes the Embraer Legacy 500, is currently the healthiest category for business jets. This segment scored 51 on UBS's latest business jet index, three points higher than the overall market index. (Photo: Embraer)

UBS Global Research’s latest business jet market index, released today, is now down 10 percent from its post-U.S. election high, settling in at 48 on a scale of one to 100. This denotes a “relatively flat market,” according to UBS aerospace analysts David Strauss and Darryl Genovesi. Its straight-up measure of absolute business conditions came in at 5.2, unchanged since January.


By aircraft category, the midsize jet segment has the highest index at 51, which is up 3 percent from last month. Both the light jet and large-cabin jet categories came in with an index of 46, marking a 13 percent improvement for the former and a slight erosion in the latter.


The overall index was driven lower by weaker customer interest, down 13 percent from last month; softer pricing, which fell 10 percent; and muted 12-month outlook, which declined 2 percent. This was partially offset by a 25 percent improvement in views regarding pre-owned business jet inventory.


UBS said that its customer interest score has dropped 20 percent from its post-financial crisis peak following the U.S. election. North America customer interest declined 13 percent from last month, though it remains strongest with an index score of 63. Europe is the next robust region, with a score of 56, followed by Asia at 50, Latin America at 44 and the Middle East at 41.