AIRLINES

Sabre Group Shares Soar in First Day of Trading: Sabre Group Holdings Inc. shares rose 17% in their first day amid optimism for steady growth of the travel reservation system operator. The shares rose $4.625 to close at $31.625 as 10.2 million shares traded hands on the New York Stock Exchange, making it the fourth-most active issue in U.S. markets. Earlier, shares rose as high as $33.25. Dallas-based Sabre, a unit of AMR Corp., sold 20.2 million shares, or a 15.8% stake, at $27 each to raise $545.4 million. The proceeds from the offering, which values Sabre at $3.45 billion, will be used to repay part of Sabre’s $850-million debt. For AMR, the parent of American Airlines, the IPO sets a value for Sabre that is likely to boost AMR’s stock price. AMR shares were unchanged at $85.375 on NYSE.