Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Free Report) had its price objective lowered by HSBC from $80.20 to $79.30 in a research report report published on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.
DAL has been the topic of several other reports. Evercore increased their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $87.00 to $77.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $81.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $79.14.
Get Our Latest Analysis on DAL
Delta Air Lines Stock Up 0.1%
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $14.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.05 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 6.87% and a return on equity of 20.28%. Delta Air Lines’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were paid a $0.1875 dividend. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 26th. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.93%.
Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines
In other Delta Air Lines news, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 173,230 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 36,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.21, for a total transaction of $2,491,560.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 95,731 shares in the company, valued at $6,625,542.51. The trade was a 27.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 620,550 shares of company stock valued at $44,127,667. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DAL. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 33.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,174 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $555,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the 1st quarter valued at about $178,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter valued at about $555,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 30,494 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,500,000 after buying an additional 1,596 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 102.2% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 7,825 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 357,825 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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
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.
Further Reading
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