Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Director Sells $291,741.00 in Stock

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Director Michael Huerta sold 3,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.11, for a total transaction of $291,741.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 32,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,060,927.75. This trade represents a 8.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

Shares of DAL stock traded down $1.04 during trading on Thursday, reaching $92.10. 5,170,195 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,327,541. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $86.10 and its 200 day moving average is $74.62. The company has a market capitalization of $60.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.27, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.31. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1 year low of $52.88 and a 1 year high of $95.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. The business had revenue of $17.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.10 EPS. Delta Air Lines’s revenue was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.54 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 9th were paid a dividend of $0.215 per share. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This is a positive change from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Evercore raised their target price on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price target on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $75.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $106.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.40.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Falling crude oil prices could reduce Delta’s jet-fuel expenses, supporting profit margins and potentially strengthening travel demand if the decline persists. Oil Just Lost its Inflation Premium: Here’s Who Wins if Prices Stay Low
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks characterized DAL as both a strong momentum stock and a long-term value opportunity. The company’s recent operating performance, including quarterly revenue growth and an earnings beat, supports the bullish case, although the stock’s roughly 77% one-year gain may limit further upside from valuation expansion. Why Delta Air Lines Is a Strong Momentum Stock Why Delta Air Lines Is a Top Value Stock for the Long Term
• Positive Sentiment: A comparison of Delta with American Airlines favors Delta based on a key loyalty-program differentiator, reinforcing the view that SkyMiles and customer engagement could provide a competitive advantage. Better Airline Stock: Delta vs. American
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $100.40. Delta also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.215 per share, but these developments appear largely reflected in the recent rally. Delta Air Lines analyst and company information
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Edward Bastian sold 206,510 shares for approximately $19.2 million, while President Peter Carter, EVP Alain Bellemare and Director David Dewalt also sold shares. Dewalt’s sale reduced his holdings by about 58.7%. Although the executives retain substantial ownership and sales may be for diversification or tax planning, the cluster of transactions can signal reduced insider conviction and add selling pressure. Delta CEO Sells $19.2 Million of Shares

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. SWAN Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% during the third quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Camelot Portfolios LLC purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 451.6% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 524 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 195.9% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 358 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.