Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Updates Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.500-0.900 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.7 billion-$15.0 billion. Delta Air Lines also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 6.500-7.500 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $68.26 on Tuesday. Delta Air Lines has a one year low of $34.74 and a one year high of $73.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.40. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $65.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.38.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 23.83% and a net margin of 7.36%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, analysts predict that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on DAL shares. Dbs Bank raised shares of Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $65.00 to $72.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Delta Air Lines has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.51.

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In other news, SVP William C. Carroll sold 14,010 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.25, for a total transaction of $858,112.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $968,730. This represents a 46.97% 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 link. Also, EVP John E. Laughter sold 23,323 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.33, for a total value of $1,453,722.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 81,109 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,055,523.97. This represents a 22.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.96% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company issued strong 2026 guidance — adjusted EPS of $6.50–$7.50 (about 20% growth at the midpoint) and March‑quarter revenue guidance of +5% to +7%, signaling confident top‑line and profit expansion. Delta forecasts 20% jump in 2026 profits, orders first Boeing Dreamliners
• Positive Sentiment: Delta placed a strategic fleet order for 30 Boeing 787‑10 Dreamliners (options for more), supporting long‑term capacity growth and premium product expansion. Fleet investment underpins medium‑term revenue mix improvement. Delta Air Lines Orders Boeing 787s, Posts Record Results
• Positive Sentiment: Selected GE Aerospace GEnx engines and support for the new 787‑10s — reduces execution risk on the aircraft program and ties long‑term service relationships to GE. Delta Air Lines Selects GE Aerospace GEnx Engines to Power New 787-10s
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjusted Q4 EPS was $1.55 — modestly above some estimates (Blockonomi reports a beat vs $1.53) but other consensus comparisons vary, so the EPS takeaway is mixed. Delta Air Lines (DAL) Stock: Earnings Beat Expectations But Revenue Falls Short
• Neutral Sentiment: Company highlighted record revenue for the quarter and ongoing premium‑cabin focus (allocating new seat capacity to premium cabins), which supports margin expansion if demand holds. Delta Air Lines Announces December Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations materially — $14.61B reported vs ~ $15.8B consensus — and management flagged weaker near‑term demand related to a government shutdown, a key driver of negative sentiment. Delta’s stock takes a hit as revenue falls more than feared in wake of shutdown
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares fell in pre‑market trading after the mixed release (some outlets reporting a pre‑market plunge), reflecting investor focus on the revenue miss and near‑term demand risk despite the upbeat guidance. DAL Earnings: Delta Air Lines Stock Slumps on Mixed Q4 Results

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of DAL. Blue Chip Partners LLC grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 5.4% during the second quarter. Blue Chip Partners LLC now owns 6,251 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $307,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares during the period. Norinchukin Bank The boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1.3% in the third quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 29,561 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,678,000 after buying an additional 371 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 11,211 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $636,000 after buying an additional 389 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 19.2% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 2,726 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $155,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% in the third quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares during the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.