Gotham Asset Management LLC Buys 244,815 Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Key Points

• Gotham Asset Management raised its stake in Delta by 59.1%, acquiring an additional 244,815 shares to hold 659,065 shares valued at about $37.4 million (roughly 0.10% of the company).
• Delta beat EPS estimates with $1.55 for the quarter but missed on revenue ($14.61B vs. $15.80B est.); the airline set Q1 2026 guidance of 0.50–0.90 EPS and FY 2026 guidance of 6.500–7.500 EPS, while analysts maintain a consensus price target near $79.43 and a majority "Buy" rating.
• Company insiders sold significant stock recently—CEO Edward Bastian sold 173,230 shares and EVP Rahul Samant sold 62,528 shares—total insider sales in the last quarter amounted to 620,550 shares valued at $44.13M.

Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Free Report) by 59.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 659,065 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 244,815 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned about 0.10% of Delta Air Lines worth $37,402,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.3% during the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,493 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.2% in the third quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 5,871 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $362,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,844 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 16,237 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $921,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gables Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,225 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $126,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 1.5%

DAL opened at $58.79 on Monday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $67.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.40. The firm has a market cap of $38.39 billion, a PE ratio of 7.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.34. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a twelve month low of $34.74 and a twelve month high of $76.39.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The company had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Delta Air Lines's payout ratio is currently 9.78%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on DAL shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Bank of America upped their price target on Delta Air Lines from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased 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. HSBC lifted their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $73.70 to $80.20 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Delta Air Lines to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $79.43.

More Delta Air Lines News

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

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In other news, EVP Rahul D. Samant sold 62,528 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.18, for a total transaction of $4,388,215.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,939 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,469,499.02. This trade represents a 74.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 173,230 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.00, for a total value of $12,299,330.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 632,823 shares in the company, valued at $44,930,433. This trade represents a 21.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 620,550 shares of company stock valued at $44,127,667. Insiders own 0.96% of the company's stock.

Delta Air Lines 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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