Great Lakes Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Key Points

• Great Lakes Advisors purchased 1.71 million Delta shares worth approximately $160.3 million, giving it a 0.26% stake and making Delta about 1.2% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 69.93% of the airline.
• Delta exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $1.56 on $17.67 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 18.7% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.215, or $0.86 annually.
• Analysts remain positive, with 23 Buy ratings, two Holds and a consensus price target of $100.40, but insiders sold roughly $36.6 million of stock during the quarter and expanded capacity could pressure yields.

Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 1,711,136 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $160,265,000. Delta Air Lines accounts for approximately 1.2% of Great Lakes Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Great Lakes Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.26% of Delta Air Lines at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 195.9% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 358 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the period. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlas Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway increased its Delta position. Warren Buffett’s company reportedly added to its DAL stake in the second quarter, making Delta Berkshire’s only airline holding. The purchase is a notable vote of confidence, although the filing reflects positions as of June 30 and was disclosed later. Warren Buffett's Berkshire raises stake in world's largest airline
• Positive Sentiment: Delta is expanding its Austin network. New Paris and San Diego routes, additional leisure flying and more than 70 peak-day departures planned for summer 2027 could strengthen Delta’s presence in a growing market. The airline is also considering elevated hub status for Austin. Delta Expands its Austin Network With New Paris Service
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive on DAL. Delta’s average brokerage recommendation suggests a buy, and separate commentary argues that the airline’s operating structure may provide a “margin moat.” Investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic and should not be used alone. Is Delta a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: Other billionaire-investor activity is not a direct DAL catalyst. David Tepper’s Appaloosa disclosed new second-quarter positions in American Airlines and Boeing, but the filing does not indicate a new Delta investment. The Billionaire Famous for Betting Big on Micron Just Bought Airline Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Expanded capacity and lower-priced premium fares could pressure yields. Delta’s growth plans require sustained demand and favorable pricing, while cheaper first-class offerings may increase competition and reduce the exclusivity of premium products. New first-class fares are affordable

Delta Air Lines Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE DAL opened at $85.88 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.24, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.31. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a one year low of $55.03 and a one year high of $95.68. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $87.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.98. 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 (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. The firm 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.10 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 9th were paid a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 9th. This is an increase 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%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Argus set a $105.00 price objective on Delta Air Lines in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered Delta Air Lines from a "strong-buy" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $80.00 to $104.00 in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Delta Air Lines has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Delta Air Lines news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director directly owned 22,358 shares in the company, valued at $2,031,224.30. This trade represents a 58.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 206,510 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.80, for a total value of $19,164,128.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,363,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $126,527,974.40. The trade was a 13.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 401,436 shares of company stock valued at $36,617,497 over the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source