Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) shares gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $71.03, but opened at $68.10. Delta Air Lines shares last traded at $70.3680, with a volume of 6,660,794 shares traded.

More Delta Air Lines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Beat on EPS and strong profit metrics — Delta reported adjusted Q4 EPS of $1.55, topping consensus and showing continued margin resilience, which supports cash flow and capital returns. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Strong 2026 earnings guide — Delta gave FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.50–$7.50 (roughly +20% y/y at midpoint) and Q1 EPS of $0.50–$0.90, signaling management expects continued profit growth. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Fleet and supplier moves that support growth/efficiency — Delta ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and selected GE Aerospace GEnx engines, a long-term capex move that can improve capacity mix and unit costs over time. Engine/Order Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Premium revenue focus — Management highlighted a push toward premium cabins and higher-yield customers as a key profit driver in 2026, which could lift margins if demand holds. WSJ: Premium Flyers
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop improving — Recent CPI came in cooler (~2.7%), easing inflation worries that can help discretionary travel demand; this is a generally supportive macro tailwind but not a direct driver of today’s move. CPI Report
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations — Q4 revenue of $14.61B fell well short of analyst estimates (~$15.8B), and management cited shutdown-related softness in domestic sales; top-line weakness is the main reason investors sold shares. MarketWatch: Revenue Shortfall
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance tone and investor reaction — Although full-year guidance is strong, some investors viewed Q1/near-term guidance as cautious; the mixed message (EPS beat but tepid top-line and cautious near-term tone) prompted selling pressure. Investopedia: Investor Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Shares slipped in early trading — Multiple outlets report the stock declined after the print as traders re-priced the business around the revenue miss and shutdown impact. Schaeffer’s

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DAL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Delta Air Lines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Delta Air Lines to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have given a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.51.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $45.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.72, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.34.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 23.83% and a net margin of 7.36%.The business had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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, analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP John E. Laughter sold 23,323 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.33, for a total transaction of $1,453,722.59. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 value of $858,112.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 15,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $968,730. This represents a 46.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DAL. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Signature Resources Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.