Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) CEO Sells $7,026,000.00 in Stock

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total transaction of $7,026,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,363,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $95,795,856.48. This trade represents a 6.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $65.66 on Monday. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 52 week low of $34.74 and a 52 week high of $76.39. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $69.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.06. The company has a market cap of $42.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.56, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.96% and a net margin of 7.90%.The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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 predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be given a dividend of $0.1875 per share. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is presently 9.78%.

Key Delta Air Lines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta announced another order to refresh its narrowbody fleet with 34 Airbus A321neo jets — these newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft improve unit costs and premium-seat capacity over time, supporting margin expansion and premium revenue potential. Delta orders 34 more Airbus A321neo jets in fleet renewal push
• Positive Sentiment: Management is also pursuing wider fleet growth (widebody expansion) to chase long‑haul and premium demand — a structural growth push that can boost long‑term revenue per available seat mile if executed well. Delta Air Lines Aims at Fleet Growth: More Upside Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Yesterday Delta closed higher, reflecting recent operational strength and beat/guide context from January earnings, but that momentum was overtaken by today’s macro cost shock. Why the Market Dipped But Delta Air Lines (DAL) Gained Today
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil surged today, pushing jet‑fuel expectations higher — investors fear rising fuel costs will compress airline margins and earnings, driving broad sector weakness and heavy selling in Delta shares. Why Delta (DAL) Shares Are Getting Obliterated Today
• Negative Sentiment: Sectorwide jet‑fuel pressure also hit low‑cost peers (e.g., Frontier), signaling the move is macro/commodity‑driven rather than company‑specific — that increases downside risk across airline stocks, including DAL. Why Frontier (ULCC) Shares Are Sliding Today
• Negative Sentiment: Delta CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares in a disclosed transaction last week — while insider sales can be routine, the timing contributes to negative sentiment when paired with sector pain. SEC filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on DAL. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. HSBC boosted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $73.70 to $80.20 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.47.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 184.6% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 572 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares during the period. Accredited Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% in the 3rd quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

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.