Baird Financial Group Inc. Buys 139,799 Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group increased its Delta Air Lines stake by 45.1% in the second quarter, purchasing 139,799 shares and bringing its holdings to 449,986 shares worth approximately $42.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 69.93% of DAL.
• Delta reported quarterly EPS of $1.56, beating estimates of $1.49, while revenue rose 18.7% year over year to $17.67 billion. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.215 per share, or $0.86 annually.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with 23 Buy ratings and two Holds and an average price target of $99.84, although insiders sold 356,726 shares worth approximately $33.1 million over the past 90 days.

Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Free Report) by 45.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 449,986 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 139,799 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.07% of Delta Air Lines worth $42,146,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. iA Global Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 53.2% during the fourth quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 92,142 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $6,395,000 after acquiring an additional 32,014 shares during the period. Tredje AP fonden boosted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,563.4% in the fourth quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 466,797 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $32,396,000 after acquiring an additional 438,735 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter worth about $2,728,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 425,654 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $29,540,000 after purchasing an additional 51,041 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth about $2,380,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta announced a long-term strategic collaboration with Hyatt Hotels that will connect the Delta SkyMiles and World of Hyatt loyalty programs. Eligible elite members are expected to earn points across both programs, potentially increasing customer engagement, premium travel demand and valuable loyalty-related revenue. Hyatt Announces Long-Term Strategic Collaboration with Delta Air Lines
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions on Delta are described as mixed, indicating disagreement over the stock’s valuation and earnings outlook. This may limit buying interest until investors receive clearer evidence of improving profitability and demand trends. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on Delta Air Lines
• Neutral Sentiment: United Airlines plans to suspend service on a route until March 2027 and offer refunds. The capacity reduction could modestly benefit Delta if it serves the same market, although the report does not establish a direct impact on Delta’s network. United Airlines to Exit Market Until March 2027
• Negative Sentiment: Democratic senators urged Delta to remain neutral in a union-organizing effort. Increased political attention or unionization could raise labor costs, reduce operating flexibility or create the risk of disruption, adding pressure to the stock’s outlook. Democratic Senators Urge Delta to Remain Neutral in Union Organizing Effort

Insider Activity

In related news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.85, for a total value of $2,885,032.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 22,358 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,031,224.30. This trade represents a 58.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Steven Sear sold 40,460 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.55, for a total transaction of $3,785,033.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at $9,766,994.20. This represents a 27.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 356,726 shares of company stock worth $33,081,037. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Delta Air Lines Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of DAL stock opened at $78.82 on Thursday. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 12-month low of $55.03 and a 12-month high of $95.68. 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 stock's 50-day moving average price is $85.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $77.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.29.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $17.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.43 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 5.79%.The firm's revenue was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.10 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were given a dividend of $0.215 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. This is an increase from Delta Air Lines's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Delta Air Lines's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DAL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $107.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Barclays upped 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. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $99.84.

Delta Air Lines Profile

Delta Air Lines, Inc is a major U.S. airline that provides scheduled passenger air transportation throughout the United States and to destinations across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The company also offers air cargo services and operates a loyalty program, SkyMiles, along with related travel and customer services.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Delta operates a network of domestic and international routes through hubs and focus cities that include Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, New York, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

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