Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Delta Air Lines beat quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $1.56 versus the $1.49 consensus and revenue of $17.67 billion, slightly above estimates.
• The company raised its outlook, updating FY 2026 guidance to $6.50–$7.50 EPS and Q3 2026 guidance to $2.00–$2.50 EPS, signaling management confidence in demand and pricing.
• Delta also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.215 per share from $0.19, while analysts remain broadly constructive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy.”

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday. The transportation company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.55 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.28% and a net margin of 6.87%. Delta Air Lines updated its FY 2026 guidance to 6.500-7.500 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance to 2.000-2.500 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

DAL stock opened at $88.86 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.95, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.29. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $80.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Delta Air Lines has a 12-month low of $50.44 and a 12-month high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be given a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 9th. This is a positive change from Delta Air Lines's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines's dividend payout ratio is presently 10.93%.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta beat second-quarter earnings and revenue estimates, showing demand and pricing remain better than expected.
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed full-year profit guidance and issued a stronger third-quarter outlook, reducing concern that fares will weaken as fuel costs ease.
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its dividend and continued paying down debt, which may appeal to income-focused and long-term investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta’s new “basic business” fare options could help broaden premium-cabin demand, but the longer-term revenue impact is still unclear.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent airline stocks have also faced pressure from higher oil prices and geopolitical tension, which can raise fuel-cost worries for DAL.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DAL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $88.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Zacks Research raised shares of Delta Air Lines from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. 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 report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $93.60.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In related news, EVP John E. Laughter sold 15,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total transaction of $1,074,150.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 54,369 shares in the company, valued at $3,893,364.09. The trade was a 21.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.00, for a total value of $395,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 133,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,574,466. The trade was a 3.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 80,331 shares of company stock worth $6,110,788. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in DAL. SWAN Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% during the third quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at $48,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

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.

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