Edward Bastian Sells 173,230 Shares of Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) CEO Edward Bastian sold 173,230 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.00, for a total value of $12,299,330.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 632,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,930,433. This trade represents a 21.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

Shares of DAL opened at $70.50 on Friday. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 52-week low of $34.74 and a 52-week high of $73.16. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $66.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $60.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.38.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.99% and a net margin of 7.90%.The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Delta Air Lines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-7.500 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Delta Air Lines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple major brokers raised price targets and maintained constructive ratings on DAL, signaling upward analyst conviction (HSBC to $80.20, Wolfe Research to $83, Goldman Sachs to $80, DBS to $80). These upgrades imply ~12–16% upside from recent levels and support medium‑term upside. HSBC Raises PT Wolfe Research Goldman Sachs
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts emphasize Delta’s strong cash flow, low leverage and resilient premium (MRO and high‑end traveler demand) as reasons the shares remain a buy despite near‑term caution. Benzinga: Caution Hides Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results: EPS modestly beat while revenue missed and management gave a cautious tone on 2026 (guidance range highlighted). Investors are parsing whether the guidance conservatism is prudent or indicates weaker demand trends — a near‑term volatility driver. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and research pieces (Zacks, MarketBeat) highlight Delta as a momentum/value play for longer‑term investors while flagging short‑term sensitivity to guidance and macro data. Zacks Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: CEO Edward Bastian sold ~173,230 shares (~21% cut to his holding) at ~$71 (SEC filing), and several EVPs (Rahul Samant, Steven Sear, Alain Bellemare, Peter Carter) also sold large blocks over Jan 14–15, reducing their positions materially. Large insider dispositions can pressure sentiment and add selling pressure even if driven by diversification or tax planning. CEO Sale SEC EVP Samant SEC

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. First Financial Bank Trust Division raised its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 4,721 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $328,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 25.4% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 794 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,493 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 5,871 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Finally, Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC now owns 8,593 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $596,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DAL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Dbs Bank lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.97.

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is a major U.S.-based global airline that provides scheduled passenger and cargo air transportation, aircraft maintenance and repair services, and related travel products. Its operations include mainline domestic and international passenger services, a branded regional network operating under the Delta Connection name, dedicated air cargo carriage, and in-house maintenance, repair and overhaul through Delta TechOps. Delta offers a range of cabin products for different customer segments, including premium business-class service on long-haul routes and tiered economy offerings on domestic and international flights, and it markets customer loyalty benefits through the SkyMiles frequent-flyer program.

The carrier operates a mixed fleet of narrow- and wide-body aircraft from multiple U.S.