UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock

Key Points

• UBS Group raised its price target on Delta Air Lines from $95 to $98 and kept a buy rating, implying about 26% upside from the current share price.
• Other analysts remain broadly positive on DAL, with several firms reiterating or raising targets; the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an average target price of $79.89.
• Delta’s recent earnings beat expectations, reporting $0.64 EPS on $14.20 billion in revenue, while the stock recently hit a 52-week high of $77.69.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by stock analysts at UBS Group from $95.00 to $98.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. UBS Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 26.14% from the company's current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on DAL. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Friday, April 17th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price target on Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $73.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $79.89.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

DAL stock opened at $77.69 on Tuesday. Delta Air Lines has a one year low of $45.28 and a one year high of $77.69. The firm has a market cap of $51.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.33, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.42. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.41.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.03. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 6.87% and a return on equity of 20.28%. The firm had revenue of $14.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 5.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other news, EVP John E. Laughter sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total value of $1,074,150.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 54,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,893,364.09. This represents a 21.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 100,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total value of $7,026,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,363,448 shares of the company's stock, valued at $95,795,856.48. This trade represents a 6.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 204,925 shares of company stock worth $14,323,395. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 358,870 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $20,366,000 after acquiring an additional 25,507 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 87,344 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $4,957,000 after purchasing an additional 8,309 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance boosted its position in Delta Air Lines by 41.3% during the third quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 53,601 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,042,000 after purchasing an additional 15,661 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 14.0% in the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 457,796 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $25,980,000 after purchasing an additional 56,365 shares during the period. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,041,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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