Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Announces Earnings Results

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday. The transportation company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.77 by ($0.05), FiscalAI reports. 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 updated its Q4 2026 guidance to 1.150-1.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 5.100-5.600 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

Shares of DAL stock opened at $82.12 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $83.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $79.82. The company has a market cap of $54.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.62, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.34. Delta Air Lines has a 12 month low of $55.03 and a 12 month high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a dividend of $0.2150 per share. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is 14.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 40,460 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.55, for a total value of $3,785,033.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,766,994.20. This represents a 27.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 35,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.72, for a total value of $3,245,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at $8,810,718. This trade represents a 26.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 356,726 shares of company stock valued at $33,081,037 over the last 90 days. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on DAL. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Seaport Research Partners dropped their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $108.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Zacks Research cut shares of Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, 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 research note on Friday, September 11th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $99.01.

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.