Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on DAL. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $106.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Seaport Research Partners dropped their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $108.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 11th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $100.40.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE DAL opened at $84.87 on Monday. 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’s 50-day simple moving average is $83.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $78.77. Delta Air Lines has a twelve month low of $55.03 and a twelve month high of $95.68. The company has a market capitalization of $55.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.07, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.29.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $17.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.43 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 5.79%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.10 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 5.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Steven Sear sold 40,460 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.55, for a total value of $3,785,033.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,766,994.20. This trade represents a 27.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael Huerta sold 3,100 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.11, for a total value of $291,741.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 32,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,060,927.75. This represents a 8.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 356,726 shares of company stock worth $33,081,037. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DAL. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 13.8% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 175,873 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $16,730,000 after purchasing an additional 21,329 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 30,318 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,840,000 after buying an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Altar Rock LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $243,000. Junto Capital Management LP bought a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $21,254,000. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Delta Air Lines by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 56,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,328,000 after buying an additional 2,647 shares in the last quarter. 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 is expanding its Europe network with new nonstop routes from Detroit and Boston and extended seasonal service. The move positions the airline to capture continued demand for transatlantic travel and could support international revenue growth. Delta Expands Europe Network With New Routes From Detroit and Boston
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect a double-digit increase in Delta’s profit in the next quarterly report, suggesting continued earnings momentum and providing a supportive catalyst ahead of the company’s results. What to Expect From Delta Air Lines’ Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta advanced while the broader market declined, indicating relative strength during the latest session, although the report provided limited new fundamental information. Delta Air Lines Advances While Market Declines
• Negative Sentiment: Elon Musk criticized Delta’s decision not to adopt Starlink’s inflight Wi-Fi, warning that the airline could lose customers as United Airlines expands its connected fleet. The comments raise competitive and customer-experience concerns, though the financial impact remains uncertain. Elon Musk Warns Delta Could Lose Customers Over Starlink Decision
• Negative Sentiment: Higher oil prices are renewing pressure on airline profit expectations because fuel is a major operating expense. Separately, a Delta flight diverted to Porto after smoke was reported in the cabin, adding a short-term operational and reputational risk. Delta Faces Fuel-Cost and Flight-Diversion Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital lowered its price target to $100 from $105 while maintaining an Outperform rating. Seaport Research Partners also cut its target to $95, reflecting more cautious expectations even though both targets remain above the recent share price. BMO Adjusts Delta Price Target

About Delta Air Lines

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.