TD Cowen Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock Price

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) had its target price dropped by equities research analysts at TD Cowen from $77.00 to $76.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. TD Cowen’s price objective points to a potential upside of 13.83% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Delta Air Lines from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Seaport Research Partners lifted their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $87.00 to $77.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $78.84.

Delta Air Lines Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock opened at $66.77 on Thursday. Delta Air Lines has a 1 year low of $34.74 and a 1 year high of $76.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.50 and a 200 day moving average of $64.52. The firm has a market cap of $43.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.71, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.31.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Peter W. Carter sold 27,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.82, for a total value of $2,020,140.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 421,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,554,886.08. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 38,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total value of $2,896,930.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,835,520.20. This trade represents a 26.99% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 620,550 shares of company stock valued at $44,127,667 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DAL. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 358,870 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $20,366,000 after buying an additional 25,507 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 10.5% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 87,344 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,957,000 after acquiring an additional 8,309 shares in the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 41.3% in the third quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 53,601 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,042,000 after acquiring an additional 15,661 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 14.0% in the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 457,796 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $25,980,000 after acquiring an additional 56,365 shares during the period. Finally, National Pension Service bought a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,201,000. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs remains bullish and keeps a buy rating on DAL, providing support from a major sell‑side name. Goldman Sachs Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Delta Air Lines (DAL)
• Positive Sentiment: Delta struck a long-term deal with Amazon’s Project Leo to bring high-speed, free LEO satellite Wi‑Fi to 500 aircraft starting in 2028 — a revenue/loyalty and customer‑experience positive that differentiates Delta’s product. Delta Picks Bezos Over Musk For Satellite Wi‑Fi
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms still see upside despite trims — Susquehanna maintains a “positive” rating with a lowered $81 PT and TD Cowen keeps a buy rating at $76 — providing some analyst conviction under the shares. Susquehanna Adjusts Price Target on Delta
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 preview/estimates: multiple previews highlight April 8 earnings as the key near‑term event (Zacks/Yahoo). Analysts expect revenue in the ~$15.0–15.3B range and mixed views on EPS; results and commentary on fares, capacity and fuel pass‑through will drive short‑term moves. Unlocking Q1 Potential of Delta (DAL)
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta has outperformed some peers recently (notably amid Middle East tensions), which supports relative strength but doesn’t remove macro and fuel risk. Delta Air Lines stock price analysis and earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Rising jet fuel: UBS and other analysts warn that nearly doubled jet fuel in March will pressure margins unless Delta can recapture costs via fares/fees — a clear near‑term earnings headwind. Airlines brace for fuel shock as UBS sees revenue recovery as key earnings driver
• Negative Sentiment: Operational disruption risk: CEO Ed Bastian publicly criticized Congress over TSA staffing shortages tied to the partial shutdown — longer security lines and delays could dent near‑term revenue and raise costs. Delta CEO Ed Bastian blasts Congress
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed/softer analyst outlooks and target trims: several shops (Raymond James, TD Cowen moves, a Bank of America pessimistic note) have trimmed targets or flagged downside, and there are reports of insider selling — putting pressure on sentiment ahead of earnings. Delta Air Lines Price Target Actions

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.