California Public Employees Retirement System Increases Position in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Key Points

• CalPERS boosted its Delta Air Lines stake by 15% in the first quarter, adding 191,345 shares and bringing its total holdings to 1.47 million shares worth about $97.7 million. Institutional investors now own nearly 70% of Delta’s stock.
• Delta posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.56 beating estimates and revenue of $17.67 billion also topping forecasts. Revenue rose 18.7% year over year, and analysts expect full-year EPS of 6.66.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.215 per share from $0.19, equal to an annualized $0.86 payout and a 1.0% yield. Meanwhile, several Delta executives sold shares recently, and analysts still rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $100.40.

California Public Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Free Report) by 15.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,469,652 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 191,345 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System owned 0.22% of Delta Air Lines worth $97,702,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% in 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. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 451.6% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 524 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 429 shares during the period. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.93% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 9,710 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $737,960.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 138,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,552,904. This represents a 6.54% 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, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total transaction of $2,036,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 95,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,738,836. The trade was a 20.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 65,331 shares of company stock valued at $5,036,638 in the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

NYSE DAL opened at $84.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.42 and a quick ratio of 0.35. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1-year low of $50.44 and a 1-year high of $95.68. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $82.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $73.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.34 billion, a PE ratio of 13.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.29.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $17.67 billion for 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.10 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.215 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines's payout ratio is currently 14.26%.

Key Stories Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta and United both posted better-than-expected Q2 results, reinforcing that travel demand remains resilient and helping improve sentiment toward airline shares. Delta vs. United Airlines Stock: Which Is the Better Buy After Q2 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Delta is being viewed as a beneficiary of strong fare pricing, especially in premium travel, which could support revenue and earnings even if overall demand normalizes. Delta’s Higher Fares And Shelf Offering Could Be A Game Changer For Delta Air Lines (DAL)
• Positive Sentiment: Another article highlighted that Delta is resetting fares higher as premium and corporate travel holds up, suggesting pricing power remains intact despite higher fuel costs. Delta (DAL) Is Resetting Fares Higher As Premium Travel Demand Holds Up
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary also pointed to Delta as a long-term momentum name, which can add to bullish investor interest after recent earnings strength. Why Delta Air Lines (DAL) is a top momentum stock for the long term
• Neutral Sentiment: Peers are still warning that higher jet fuel costs could pressure margins, so investors are balancing stronger demand against a potentially tougher cost backdrop. UAL Q2 Earnings Beat as Strong Yields Offset Fuel Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: San Antonio’s airport expansion plan is a broader infrastructure development story and is not a direct catalyst for Delta, though it reflects continued airport investment in the travel market. San Antonio to Borrow $944 Million for Major Airport Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: News about Delta extending refund-policy flexibility on some international routes underscores ongoing geopolitical disruption that could weigh on operations and booking trends. Major airline extends refund policy for Dubai flights

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DAL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Wolfe Research dropped their price target on Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $73.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $106.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.40.

About Delta Air Lines

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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