J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lessened its position in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL – Free Report) by 76.7% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 12,959 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 42,600 shares during the quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $861,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DAL. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 451.6% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 524 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.93% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines
In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total transaction of $2,036,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,738,836. The trade was a 20.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 9,710 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total value of $737,960.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 138,854 shares in the company, valued at $10,552,904. The trade was a 6.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 65,331 shares of company stock valued at $5,036,638. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting Delta Air Lines
- Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Delta to $112 and reiterated a buy rating, highlighting further upside after the airline’s strong quarterly performance.
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan also lifted its price target to $114 and kept an overweight rating, reflecting growing analyst confidence in Delta’s earnings outlook.
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports pointed to healthy travel demand, premium cabin strength, and resilient cash flow, suggesting Delta can keep growing revenue even in a higher-cost environment. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Delta said cheaper jet fuel may not translate into lower airfares, implying pricing power could remain intact and margins may stay supported. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Several coverage pieces framed Delta as a value or momentum stock trading at a reasonable valuation, but these are more confirmation than a new catalyst.
- Negative Sentiment: Rising geopolitical tensions in Iran were flagged as a potential headwind for airline stocks because they could pressure fuel prices and create turbulence for travel demand. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Fuel costs remain a key risk, with Delta noting a sharp jump in fuel expense during the quarter, which could keep margin pressure in focus if energy prices rise again.
Delta Air Lines Stock Down 0.8%
DAL stock opened at $85.48 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $56.22 billion, a PE ratio of 14.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.29. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $81.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.76. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $50.44 and a fifty-two week high of $95.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. The firm had revenue of $17.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.10 EPS. Delta Air Lines’s revenue was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.7 EPS for the current year.
Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be given a dividend of $0.215 per share. This is a boost from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 9th. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is presently 14.26%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $107.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Argus set a $105.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Susquehanna upped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, HSBC dropped their price target on Delta Air Lines from $80.20 to $79.30 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.40.
Read Our Latest Analysis on DAL
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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