Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $72.00 to $84.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 21.67% from the company’s previous close.
A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Seaport Global Securities increased their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $65.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $87.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-three have issued a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $80.47.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on DAL
Delta Air Lines Trading Down 2.0%
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.99% and a net margin of 7.90%.The company had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. Delta Air Lines’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Delta Air Lines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-7.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, EVP Rahul D. Samant sold 57,003 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.57, for a total transaction of $3,965,698.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 36,246 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,521,634.22. This represents a 61.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 31,290 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.69, for a total transaction of $2,180,600.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 97,505 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,795,123.45. The trade was a 24.29% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 311,823 shares of company stock worth $21,942,479 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines
Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 54.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,817,783 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $330,159,000 after acquiring an additional 2,058,744 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 74,572,577 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,667,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,648,071 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 23.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 7,661,911 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $434,813,000 after purchasing an additional 1,447,058 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 16,044.7% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,263,320 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $71,693,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255,495 shares during the period. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd boosted its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 23.6% during the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 3,860,710 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $219,095,000 after buying an additional 736,342 shares in the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stories Impacting Delta Air Lines
Here are the key news stories impacting Delta Air Lines this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and guidance boosted technical momentum — DAL posted a slight EPS beat and gave 2026 EPS guidance that traders liked; Benzinga notes Delta’s momentum ranking jumped sharply after the report, indicating stronger demand and premium sales are driving positive technical interest. Key Delta Metric Surges After Q4 Earnings Beat And Strong Guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — DBS Bank upgraded DAL to a “moderate buy,” adding short-term buy-side support and likely helping sentiment among institutional investors. Delta Air Lines Upgraded at Dbs Bank
- Neutral Sentiment: Mixed fundamental take: Zacks highlights the Q4 EPS beat but flags a revenue shortfall versus estimates and rising labor costs, which tempers an outright buy case despite positive elements. Does Delta Air Lines’ Q4 Earnings Beat Justify a Buy Decision Today?
- Neutral Sentiment: Sector macro/context: Barron’s notes upcoming United Airlines results and broader airline metrics that could move DAL alongside peers; sector results will influence sentiment beyond company-specific news. United Airlines Reports Earnings Tuesday. What Airline Stocks Need to Fly Higher.
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor note pieces point to an uptrend supported by strong financials and guidance, but emphasize monitoring revenue mix and costs going forward. Delta Air Lines Stock’s On An Uptrend
- Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — multiple filings show sizable sales by the CEO and several executives (multi-million-dollar sales), which can pressure sentiment and raise governance/valuation questions for some investors. Delta Air Lines CEO Sells $12,299,330.00 in Stock
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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