Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.150-1.650 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.470. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.5 billion-$17.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $18.4 billion. Delta Air Lines also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.100-5.600 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $104.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Argus set a $105.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $99.01.

Delta Air Lines Stock Down 1.0%

NYSE:DAL opened at $82.12 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $83.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.82. Delta Air Lines has a 52 week low of $55.03 and a 52 week high of $95.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.34.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $17.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.65 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. Delta Air Lines has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.600 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 5.79 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.2150 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Delta Air Lines news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.85, for a total value of $2,885,032.60. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 22,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,031,224.30. The trade was a 58.68% 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 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.72, for a total transaction of $3,245,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,810,718. The trade was a 26.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 356,726 shares of company stock valued at $33,081,037. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Demand remained resilient, with record September-quarter revenue, healthy yield growth and management expecting December-quarter revenue to increase approximately 20%. CEO Ed Bastian also said fares could rise further as fuel prices remain elevated. Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Delta expects approximately $2.5 billion of 2026 free cash flow, a double-digit return on invested capital and more than $2 billion of debt repayment, supporting its balance-sheet improvement and longer-term investment case. Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have generally maintained positive ratings despite cutting estimates and price targets, suggesting confidence in Delta’s premium-travel strategy and demand durability but greater caution around near-term costs. Wall Street Cut Its Delta Air Estimates Below the Company’s Own Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Delta reduced its full-year 2026 EPS guidance to $5.10–$5.60, below the $5.52 analyst consensus at the midpoint. Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $1.15–$1.65 also brackets a midpoint below consensus, while revenue guidance of $17.5 billion trails the $18.4 billion estimate. Delta Air Lines cuts profit forecast as fuel costs outpace fare gains
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.72 missed the $1.77 consensus, marking Delta’s first earnings miss in two years. The combination of higher fuel expenses and weaker-than-expected guidance is driving the negative investor reaction despite solid underlying demand. Delta Air Lines cuts 2026 forecast on fuel surge

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

Delta Air Lines, Inc is a major U.S. airline that provides scheduled passenger and air freight transportation. The company serves destinations throughout the United States and connects customers to international markets across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean through its own operations and regional airline partners.

Delta offers multiple classes of passenger service, including premium cabins and its main cabin, along with travel-related products such as vacation packages and loyalty benefits through the SkyMiles program.