Delta Air Lines (DAL) Set to Release Earnings on Friday

Key Points

• Delta Air Lines is expected to report Q3 2026 earnings before the market opens on October 9. Analysts forecast earnings of $1.92 per share on $17.61 billion in revenue, with the results serving as a major near-term catalyst for the stock.
• Delta’s previous quarter exceeded expectations, posting $1.56 in EPS and $17.67 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 18.7% year over year. Lower oil prices could support fuel costs and margins, but rising crew expenses and fuel-price volatility remain risks.
• Shares recently traded near $84, below the $100.40 analyst consensus target, and the company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.215 per share. Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a “Moderate Buy” consensus, although price-target cuts and a recent Zacks downgrade to “Strong Sell” highlight disagreement.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) is expected to issue its Q3 2026 results before the market opens on Friday, October 9th. Analysts expect Delta Air Lines to post earnings of $1.92 per share and revenue of $17.6117 billion for the quarter. Individuals may review the information on the company's upcoming Q3 2026 earning overview page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.10 EPS. On average, analysts expect Delta Air Lines to post $6 EPS for the current fiscal year and $8 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DAL opened at $84.11 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.95, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.34. The business has a 50-day moving average of $84.02 and a 200-day moving average of $79.13. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $55.03 and a fifty-two week high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.2150 per share. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. Delta Air Lines's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In related news, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 35,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 95,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,810,718. This trade represents a 26.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, President Peter Carter sold 39,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.98, for a total transaction of $3,709,902.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 424,704 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,488,977.92. This represents a 8.59% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 356,726 shares of company stock worth $33,081,037 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil prices could improve Delta’s fuel costs and operating margins. A fund investor letter highlighted falling oil as a factor that helped reverse earlier pressure on the airline’s results. Delta Air Lines rebounds as falling oil prices reverse first-quarter drawdowns
• Positive Sentiment: Some valuation commentary describes DAL as potentially undervalued if lower fuel costs support earnings, while the average Wall Street recommendation remains a Buy. These views may be helping sustain investor interest, although the articles caution that analyst ratings can be overly optimistic. Delta stock may be undervalued on falling oil prices
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish sentiment is building before Delta reports third-quarter results before the market opens on October 9. The upcoming report is likely to be the next major catalyst for the stock. Bullish sentiment builds ahead of Delta earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta outperformed American and United in September, gaining 4.5%, but its strong multiyear advance raises questions about whether current earnings growth fully supports the valuation. Which airline stock dominated in September
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysts point to falling earnings estimates, rising crew costs and continued fuel-price volatility. Zacks also downgraded DAL from Hold to Strong Sell, adding pressure after a reported double-digit decline over the prior three months. Why investors should give Delta stock a miss
• Negative Sentiment: A public dispute between CEO Ed Bastian and Elon Musk over Delta’s decision not to use Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi raises concerns that the airline could lag competitors in onboard connectivity, though the immediate financial impact is unclear. Starlink dispute between Elon Musk and Delta CEO

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on DAL. Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on Delta Air Lines from $104.00 to $98.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Seaport Research Partners lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $108.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Zacks Research cut Delta Air Lines from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings raised Delta Air Lines from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $114.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with 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 company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.40.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

Delta Air Lines, Inc is a major U.S. airline that provides scheduled passenger and air freight transportation. The company serves destinations throughout the United States and connects customers to international markets across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean through its own operations and regional airline partners.

Delta offers multiple classes of passenger service, including premium cabins and its main cabin, along with travel-related products such as vacation packages and loyalty benefits through the SkyMiles program.

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