Clearfield Capital Management LP Grows Holdings in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Key Points

• Clearfield Capital increased its stake in Delta by 50.4% in Q3 to 296,500 shares (about $16.83M), making DAL ~10.1% of the fund's holdings and its 5th-largest position.
• Delta reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter (beating estimates by $0.02) while revenue of $14.61B missed consensus, and it issued Q1 2026 guidance of $0.50–0.90 EPS and FY 2026 guidance of $6.50–7.50 EPS.
• Insider selling has been significant recently, with insiders disposing of 620,550 shares worth $44.13M over the last three months, leaving corporate insiders owning about 0.88% of the company.

Clearfield Capital Management LP increased its stake in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Free Report) by 50.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 296,500 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 99,372 shares during the quarter. Delta Air Lines comprises approximately 10.1% of Clearfield Capital Management LP's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Clearfield Capital Management LP's holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $16,826,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of DAL. AlphaQuest LLC increased its position in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% in the 3rd quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. 69.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of DAL opened at $58.79 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.66, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.34. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1-year low of $34.74 and a 1-year high of $76.39. The company has a 50-day moving average of $67.96 and a 200 day moving average of $64.09.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. Delta Air Lines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-7.500 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th will be paid a $0.1875 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Delta Air Lines's dividend payout ratio is 9.78%.

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Erik Storey Snell sold 39,420 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.02, for a total value of $2,799,608.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,530,087.50. This represents a 52.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 38,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total value of $2,896,930.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at $7,835,520.20. The trade was a 26.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 620,550 shares of company stock worth $44,127,667 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies cut its price target to $72 but retained a Buy rating, signaling continued analyst conviction in Delta's longer‑term recovery and implying upside from current levels. Delta Air Lines NYSE: DAL Given New $72.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group
• Positive Sentiment: Citi put Delta on a 30‑day "positive catalyst watch," highlighting potential near‑term bullish catalysts (refinery edge, trans‑Atlantic demand) that could support the stock. Citi Research puts Delta and SkyWest on 30‑day positive catalyst watch
• Positive Sentiment: Industry reporting notes that credit‑card partnerships and upfront cash from co‑branded cards are reshaping airline loyalty economics and improving non‑fare profit streams — a tailwind for Delta's margins and cash flow. Credit‑card cash reshapes US airline loyalty — and profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn trimmed its price target to $70 but kept a Buy rating, reflecting mixed views: confidence in Delta's fundamentals but recognition of near‑term capacity and margin pressure. Rothschild & Co Redburn Lowers Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) Price Target to $70
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage weighing valuation: some outlets argue the pullback makes DAL attractive versus historic ranges, while others flag the stock's YTD weakness — a reminder that consensus upside still coexists with risk. Is Delta Air Lines Stock Underperforming the Nasdaq?
• Negative Sentiment: Delta extended a pause on New York–Tel Aviv flights through month‑end amid regional volatility, reducing international capacity and near‑term revenue on that route. Delta extends pause on New York‑Tel Aviv flights through month‑end
• Negative Sentiment: Oil has surged toward $100/barrel, prompting sectorwide downdrafts as fuel costs and perceived travel risk rise — a primary immediate headwind for airline margins and stock performance. Airline Stocks Were Pricing 2026 Like A Runway—Oil Just Made It A Cliff Edge
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded Delta to a "Hold," adding to mixed sell‑side signals and increasing short‑term sentiment pressure. Delta Air Lines NYSE: DAL Cut to "Hold" at TD Cowen

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on DAL shares. Seaport Research Partners increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $90.00 to $87.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen cut Delta Air Lines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Delta Air Lines from $84.00 to $72.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $87.00 price target on Delta Air Lines in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $79.43.

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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