HSBC Lowers Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Price Target to $79.30

Key Points

• HSBC cut its price target on Delta to $79.30 (from $80.20) but maintained a "buy" rating, implying about a 16.9% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but constructive: the consensus is a “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $78.85 (majority of analysts rate the stock as Buy).
• Delta reported Q1 EPS of $0.64 vs. a $0.70 estimate and revenue of $14.20B vs. $14.70B (misses) though revenue was up 9.4% year‑over‑year, and the company expects roughly a $300M refinery benefit to help Q2 margins.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by equities researchers at HSBC from $80.20 to $79.30 in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. HSBC's price target suggests a potential upside of 16.89% from the stock's previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Seaport Research Partners increased their price target 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. Citigroup lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $87.00 to $77.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Delta Air Lines from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $76.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $78.85.

Delta Air Lines Trading Down 0.4%

DAL stock opened at $67.84 on Thursday. Delta Air Lines has a 52 week low of $38.66 and a 52 week high of $76.39. The company has a market capitalization of $44.31 billion, a PE ratio of 8.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.31. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $66.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.40.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.70 by ($0.06). Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.96% and a net margin of 7.90%.The business had revenue of $14.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. Delta Air Lines's revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Rahul D. Samant sold 62,528 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.18, for a total value of $4,388,215.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,939 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,469,499.02. This represents a 74.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Peter W. Carter sold 27,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.82, for a total value of $2,020,140.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 421,744 shares in the company, valued at $31,554,886.08. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 620,550 shares of company stock worth $44,127,667 over the last three months. 0.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DAL. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 33.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,174 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $555,000 after purchasing an additional 2,302 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 1st quarter worth approximately $178,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $555,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 30,494 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,500,000 after acquiring an additional 1,596 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 102.2% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 7,825 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $385,000 after acquiring an additional 357,825 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company's stock.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results and management commentary showed resilience — Delta reported adjusted Q1 EPS of $0.64 and strong revenue/operational metrics, and the earnings call highlighted demand strength and margin actions that convinced investors the beat is sustainable. Delta Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical relief pushed oil down — a U.S.-Iran ceasefire reduced near‑term oil risk, lifting airline sentiment and improving Delta’s fuel outlook (short‑term tailwind to margins). Airline Stocks Jump on Ceasefire
• Positive Sentiment: Refinery ownership is turning into a cash edge — Delta expects roughly a $300M refinery benefit to help Q2 profit, which differentiates it from peers facing raw fuel inflation. DAL sees $300M refinery benefit
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst actions are mixed — Wolfe Research trimmed its price target to $73 but kept an Outperform rating, signaling continued analyst support despite a more cautious view on upside. Wolfe Research Lowers Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy options activity — large volumes of call buying suggest speculative bullish interest that can amplify intraday moves but also raises short‑term volatility risk. Unusually High Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel spike forces strategic pullbacks — management said it will meaningfully cut planned capacity growth and flagged a multi‑billion dollar increase in fuel expense at the forward curve, which pressures near‑term margins and guidance. Delta hits brakes on growth plans
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue actions could hurt demand perception — Delta raised checked-bag fees to help offset higher jet fuel; this improves yields but could dampen PR and price‑sensitive demand if fuel concerns persist. Delta Baggage Fee Hike Highlights Fuel Shock

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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