Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Issues Q2 2026 Earnings Guidance

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) issued an update on its second quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 1.000-1.500 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 2.090. The company issued revenue guidance of -, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $17.9 billion.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE DAL traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $68.26. 5,121,485 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,241,708. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.90, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.40. Delta Air Lines has a 52-week low of $38.66 and a 52-week high of $76.39. The company’s 50-day moving average is $66.52 and its 200-day moving average is $64.73.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.70 by ($0.06). Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The firm had revenue of $14.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.46 EPS. Delta Air Lines’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio is 9.78%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Seaport Research Partners boosted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $87.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $65.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 38,600 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total value of $2,896,930.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,835,520.20. This trade represents a 26.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 36,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.21, for a total value of $2,491,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 95,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,625,542.51. The trade was a 27.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 620,550 shares of company stock worth $44,127,667. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

More Delta Air Lines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages raised targets/ratings this morning (TD Cowen to $84/buy; Raymond James to $80/strong‑buy; Argus to $85/buy; Citi to $79/buy), signaling analyst conviction in DAL’s recovery and upside potential. Raymond James PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly revenue came in ahead of expectations (record top line) and management flagged a roughly $300M refinery benefit to Q2 — supporting margins if fuel eases. Delta Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity (large buy volume) suggests short-term bullish speculative interest that can amplify upside if positive catalysts continue. Options Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO commentary emphasizes Delta’s premium positioning and resilient higher‑spend customers — a structural plus for yield per seat but not immune to fuel shocks. CEO Premium Customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Geopolitical developments (Iran ceasefire reports) have driven volatile oil moves; a sustained decline would help Delta but uncertainty remains near term. Ceasefire/Market Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Management trimmed near‑term growth plans and warned Q2 profit would be lower than Street hopes because of a multi‑billion dollar fuel shock — the primary driver of today’s downward pressure. Capacity Cuts & Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Delta has raised checked-bag fees and signaled capacity reductions to limit fuel-driven margin erosion — defensive moves that highlight margin risk and could dent demand if prices stay elevated. Baggage Fee Hike
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings readouts are mixed depending on GAAP vs adjusted measures (some outlets note GAAP loss or softer profit guidance), leaving uncertainty about near-term profitability despite revenue strength. Earnings Details

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in DAL. SWAN Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% during the 3rd quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

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.