Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Price Target Raised to $86.00

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) had its target price upped by UBS Group from $84.00 to $86.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also commented on DAL. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price target on Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research lowered Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Argus lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.14.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Delta Air Lines stock opened at $67.92 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $66.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.85. Delta Air Lines has a one year low of $38.80 and a one year high of $76.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.42 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $44.62 billion, a PE ratio of 9.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.31.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.03. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.28% and a net margin of 6.87%.The firm had revenue of $14.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.05 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.46 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were paid a $0.1875 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 38,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total transaction of $2,896,930.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at $7,835,520.20. The trade was a 26.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 173,230 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.00, for a total value of $12,299,330.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 632,823 shares in the company, valued at $44,930,433. This represents a 21.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 620,550 shares of company stock worth $44,127,667. 0.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% during the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — revenue and EPS surprised to the upside, which was cited as the main trigger for the relief rally in DAL shares. Delta (NYSE:DAL) Exceeds Q1 CY2026 Expectations, Stock Jumps 11.8%
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades and higher price targets are piling up (UBS raised its target to $86, TD Cowen/Argus/Raymond James raised theirs), supporting bullish sentiment and providing analyst cover for further gains. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Given New $86.00 Price Target at UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical news (a U.S.–Iran ceasefire) pushed oil down, lifting airline multiples and reversing some immediate pressure on margins — a market tailwind that amplified the stock’s move. Stock Market Rally Revs Higher On Iran Ceasefire; Amazon, AI Names In Focus: Weekly Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~45% between Mar. 15 and Mar. 31 to ~23.97M shares (3.7% short), raising trading volatility risk and signaling increased bearish positioning or hedging activity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity has been noted on DAL, which can amplify intraday moves and skew implied volatility. Delta Air Lines Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:DAL)
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 guidance and fuel outlook weigh on fundamentals — Delta warned of roughly $2B of incremental fuel costs for the quarter, gave EPS guidance (Q2) well below consensus ( $1.00–$1.50 vs ~ $2.09 ), and said it will cut capacity and raise certain fees to offset costs. That guidance cap and $2B headwind are key reasons for caution. Delta’s Double Miss Is a Warning for Airline Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Operational adjustments: Delta announced reduced flights and new fees as part of its response to the fuel shock — actions that help margins but may slow growth/PR and could cap upside if demand softens. Delta Air Lines is reducing flights and raising fees as it combats fuel shock. Here’s why the stock is up anyway

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

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.