Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) have been given an average rating of “Buy” by the twenty-three brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $80.4667.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company set a $87.00 target price on Delta Air Lines in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $65.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 38,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 104,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,835,520.20. The trade was a 26.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Erik Storey Snell sold 39,420 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.02, for a total value of $2,799,608.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 35,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,530,087.50. This trade represents a 52.53% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 520,550 shares of company stock valued at $37,101,667. Company insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DAL. Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 72,616 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,040,000 after purchasing an additional 2,263 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,296 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $229,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its position in Delta Air Lines by 21.3% during the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 294,275 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $20,422,000 after buying an additional 51,711 shares during the last quarter. GM Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in Delta Air Lines by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. GM Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,951 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $482,000 after buying an additional 724 shares during the period. Finally, PCM Encore LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $313,000. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta announced a $1.3 billion profit-sharing payout to employees tied to strong results — a sign of healthy profitability that boosts employee morale and retention, though it is a cash distribution. Delta spreads the love this Valentine’s Day with $1.3B profit sharing payout
• Positive Sentiment: Delta hit a trailing high on the NYSE Composite, signaling recent buying momentum and renewed investor interest. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Hits Trailing High on NYSE Composite
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note international demand is rebounding and transatlantic capacity is at record levels — a tailwind for revenue recovery and margin expansion. DAL’s International Air Travel Demand in Good Shape: Sign for Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: AI-driven models and analysts are split on DAL — fundamentals and guidance improved, but models flag lingering risks (costs, competition), producing mixed price forecasts. AI Models Split on Delta Air Lines as Fundamentals Improve but Risks Linger
• Negative Sentiment: Two insider transactions surfaced this week: an EVP sold ~$2.90M of DAL stock and another insider sold ~$2.02M (combined ≈ $4.92M). Large insider sales can be perceived as profit-taking and may pressure sentiment. Insider Selling: Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) EVP Sells $2,896,930.00 in Stock Insider Selling: Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Insider Sells $2,020,140.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks flagged why DAL fell more than the broader market on the latest session: a mix of profit-taking after recent gains and concerns such as revenue coming in below some estimates. Those headlines likely amplified selling pressure. Here’s Why Delta Air Lines (DAL) Fell More Than Broader Market
• Negative Sentiment: Union activity at major U.S. airlines (American example) is ramping up pressure on boards about lagging profit — an industry signal that labor costs and wage demands could reaccelerate, a potential headwind for margins. American Airlines unions ratchet up pressure on board over lagging profit

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $68.95 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $45.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.99, a P/E/G ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.37. Delta Air Lines has a 1 year low of $34.74 and a 1 year high of $76.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.91.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The company’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 predict that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is currently 9.78%.

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.