Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock Moved Down to “Strong Sell” by Zacks Research

Posted by Stanley Muller on Sep 30th, 2026

Zacks Research lowered shares of Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks reports.

DAL has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Delta Air Lines from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays cut their price target on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 11th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Delta Air Lines currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.40.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock opened at $84.87 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.42. Delta Air Lines has a 1 year low of $55.03 and a 1 year high of $95.68. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $83.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $78.77. The firm has a market cap of $55.81 billion, a PE ratio of 14.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.29.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.43 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 5.79%.The business’s revenue was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.10 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 5.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a dividend of $0.2150 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Delta Air Lines news, President Peter W. Carter sold 39,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.98, for a total value 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 approximately $39,488,977.92. This represents a 8.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael P. Huerta sold 3,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.11, for a total transaction of $291,741.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 32,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,060,927.75. This trade represents a 8.70% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 356,726 shares of company stock valued at $33,081,037. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,535 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $331,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. Arlington Trust Co LLC lifted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 1,238 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC boosted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC now owns 3,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $365,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Delta Air Lines by 10.9% during the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,582 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Greenleaf Trust lifted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1.3% in the second quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 12,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,125,000 after buying an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Delta is expanding its transatlantic network with new nonstop routes from Detroit and Boston, along with extended seasonal service. The additions may support capacity growth and revenue as international travel demand remains strong. Delta Expands Europe Network With New Routes From Detroit and Boston
Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect a double-digit increase in profit in Delta’s next quarterly report, suggesting continued earnings momentum ahead of the company’s scheduled results next month. What to Expect From Delta Air Lines’ Next Quarterly Earnings Report
Neutral Sentiment: Delta recently advanced while the broader market declined, closing at $84.88. The move indicates relative strength, although the report offered limited new fundamental information. Delta Air Lines Advances While Market Declines
Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Delta from “hold” to “strong sell,” creating a fresh negative catalyst and potentially weighing on investor sentiment.
Negative Sentiment: Elon Musk criticized Delta’s decision not to adopt Starlink, warning that the airline could lose customers as United Airlines expands satellite-based onboard Wi-Fi. The controversy raises competitive concerns about Delta’s passenger connectivity offering. DAL Stock in Focus: Elon Musk Takes Aim at Delta Over Starlink
Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital lowered its price target to $100 from $105, citing pressure that included higher fuel costs, although it maintained an “outperform” rating. The reduced target and fuel-cost risk contributed to recent weakness in DAL shares. Delta Stock Dinged by Bear Note and Higher Fuel Costs

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.