Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Lowers Position in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lessened its holdings in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) by 4.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 448,421 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 22,845 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $31,120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 7.7% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 358,870 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $20,366,000 after purchasing an additional 25,507 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 10.5% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 87,344 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,957,000 after purchasing an additional 8,309 shares in the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance raised 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 valued at $3,042,000 after purchasing an additional 15,661 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 14.0% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the third quarter valued at about $1,041,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines Stock Down 2.8%

DAL opened at $69.97 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $45.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.31. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $66.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.80 and a 12 month high of $76.39.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $14.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.05 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.28% and a net margin of 6.87%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were issued a $0.1875 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is currently 10.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $81.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Dbs Bank upgraded Delta Air Lines to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Delta Air Lines from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $79.26.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In other news, EVP John E. Laughter sold 69,304 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.15, for a total value of $4,723,067.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 69,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,727,497.35. The trade was a 49.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rahul D. Samant sold 62,528 shares of Delta Air Lines 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,469,499.02. This represents a 74.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 353,611 shares of company stock valued at $25,182,798. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 fundamentals and management commentary remain supportive: revenue and margins beat expectations and management highlighted strength in premium seating and loyalty — a higher‑margin mix that underpins profitability and analyst optimism. The Top 5 Analyst Questions From Delta’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is lifting sentiment: Jefferies and other brokers have raised price targets (Jefferies to $81), reinforcing upside expectations after the quarter beat. Jefferies Boosts Delta Air Lines Price Target to $81.00
• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil is a potential tailwind: commentary from market figures that oil could decline materially would cut jet‑fuel costs and boost margins if sustained. Larry Fink Told Jim Cramer Oil Could Be Cut in Half
• Neutral Sentiment: Sidelined sector M&A chatter: United/American merger rumors are driving sector rotation; Delta could benefit as a standalone reference stock, but the direct impact on DAL is indirect and uncertain. Sky‑High Stakes: United and American Merger Rumors
• Neutral Sentiment: Connectivity and ancillary revenue angle: reports about changes to sponsored in‑flight Wi‑Fi and potential satellite partners could create new ancillary revenue but require execution. T‑Mobile’s Free In‑Flight Wi‑Fi Might Be Going Away
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/TV commentary (Jim Cramer) spotlight: high‑profile coverage highlights Delta’s strong run but also reminds investors of cyclical risks — attention can amplify moves but is not a fresh fundamental change. Jim Cramer on Delta
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP John Laughter disclosed a sizeable sale (15,000 shares at ~$71.61), which can be interpreted as a near‑term negative signal even if for diversification/liquidity reasons. Delta EVP Sells $1,074,150.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Scaling back sustainability targets: Bloomberg/MSN report that Delta trimmed SAF and net‑zero ambitions — a reputational/regulatory concern that may deter ESG‑focused investors. Delta Scales Back Sustainable Fuel and Net‑Zero Targets
• Negative Sentiment: Political/regulatory pressure on fares: a lawmaker urged airlines to cut fares if fuel costs fall — that could cap fare upside and compress margins even as fuel eases. Airline CEOs Urged by Lawmaker to Lower Fares

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.