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Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Delta Air Lines logo with Transportation background
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Key Points

  • Delta Air Lines raised its FY 2026 outlook, guiding for EPS of 6.50 to 7.50 versus the consensus estimate of 5.67. It also set Q3 2026 EPS guidance at 2.00 to 2.50.
  • The company recently beat second-quarter earnings and revenue estimates, with EPS of $1.56 on revenue of $17.67 billion, signaling stronger-than-expected demand and pricing.
  • Delta also boosted its quarterly dividend to $0.215 per share from $0.19, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a target price around $93.60.
  • MarketBeat previews the top five stocks to own by August 1st.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 6.500-7.500 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 5.670. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Delta Air Lines also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 2.000-2.500 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

NYSE DAL opened at $88.86 on Friday. 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. The stock has a market cap 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 company's 50 day moving average is $80.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.43.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 10th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $17.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.55 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 6.87% and a return on equity of 20.28%. Delta Air Lines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-7.500 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 5.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be paid a $0.215 dividend. This is an increase from Delta Air Lines's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 9th. Delta Air Lines's payout ratio is currently 10.93%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on DAL shares. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $88.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $93.60.

Read Our Latest Analysis on DAL

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 9,710 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $737,960.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 138,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,552,904. This represents a 6.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total value of $2,036,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,738,836. This represents a 20.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 80,331 shares of company stock valued at $6,110,788 over the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Delta Air Lines News

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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Delta Air Lines by 137.4% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 13,811,787 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $958,538,000 after buying an additional 7,994,004 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 44.3% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,155,776 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $426,441,000 after acquiring an additional 1,890,521 shares during the period. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter valued at $124,444,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 16,044.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,263,320 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $71,693,000 after acquiring an additional 1,255,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC raised its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 34.9% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 4,084,386 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $283,456,000 after acquiring an additional 1,055,980 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company's stock.

About Delta Air Lines

(Get Free Report)

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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Earnings History and Estimates for Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL)

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