Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Share Price Breaks Above 50-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Delta shares broke above their 50-day moving average, reaching $81.68 and last trading near $81.63, while the 200-day average stood at $76.57.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with 22 Buy ratings, one Hold and one Sell; the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with a $99.65 price target.
• Delta reported quarterly EPS of $1.72, slightly below the $1.77 consensus, and revenue of $17.59 billion versus $17.64 billion expected. The company also declared a $0.215 quarterly dividend, representing a 1.1% yield.

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $80.65 and traded as high as $81.68. Delta Air Lines shares last traded at $81.6280, with a volume of 6,823,270 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on DAL shares. Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $99.65.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 3.1%

The stock has a market capitalization of $53.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29 and a beta of 1.34. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $80.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $76.57.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $17.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.64 billion. Delta Air Lines's revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.71 EPS. Delta Air Lines has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.600 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 5.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be paid a $0.2150 dividend. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. Delta Air Lines's dividend payout ratio is currently 17.17%.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.85, for a total transaction of $2,885,032.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 22,358 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,031,224.30. This trade represents a 58.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 35,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.72, for a total transaction of $3,245,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,810,718. This represents a 26.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 356,726 shares of company stock worth $33,081,037. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,829,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 105.3% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 39,018 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,595,000 after buying an additional 20,012 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 45.1% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 449,986 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $42,146,000 after buying an additional 139,799 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 102.3% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 105,966 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $7,045,000 after acquiring an additional 53,581 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 646.6% during the second quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 45,161 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,207,000 after acquiring an additional 39,112 shares in the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines, Inc is a major U.S. airline headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company provides scheduled passenger air transportation to destinations across the United States and international markets, including Europe, Latin America, Asia, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean. Delta operates through a network of hubs and focus cities, offering service under the Delta brand and through regional partners operating as Delta Connection.

In addition to passenger flights, Delta provides air cargo transportation and related logistics services.

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