Key Points
- Delta CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares on Feb. 26 at an average of $70.26 for about $7.03 million, reducing his stake to 1,363,448 shares (a 6.83% decrease).
- Shares fell about 6.9% as a crude‑oil/jet‑fuel surge raised cost concerns across the airline sector, with the insider sale adding to negative sentiment.
- Delta slightly beat Q1 EPS ($1.55 vs. $1.53) but missed revenue estimates ($14.61B vs. $15.80B), set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $6.50–$7.50, declared a $0.1875 quarterly dividend (1.1% yield), and ordered 34 Airbus A321neo jets to refresh its narrowbody fleet.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total value of $7,026,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,363,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $95,795,856.48. This trade represents a 6.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Delta Air Lines Trading Down 6.9%
Delta Air Lines stock opened at $65.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market cap of $42.89 billion, a PE ratio of 8.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $69.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $63.99. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a one year low of $34.74 and a one year high of $76.39.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be issued a $0.1875 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.78%.
Key Delta Air Lines News
Here are the key news stories impacting Delta Air Lines this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Delta announced another order to refresh its narrowbody fleet with 34 Airbus A321neo jets — these newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft improve unit costs and premium-seat capacity over time, supporting margin expansion and premium revenue potential. Delta orders 34 more Airbus A321neo jets in fleet renewal push
- Positive Sentiment: Management is also pursuing wider fleet growth (widebody expansion) to chase long‑haul and premium demand — a structural growth push that can boost long‑term revenue per available seat mile if executed well. Delta Air Lines Aims at Fleet Growth: More Upside Ahead?
- Neutral Sentiment: Yesterday Delta closed higher, reflecting recent operational strength and beat/guide context from January earnings, but that momentum was overtaken by today's macro cost shock. Why the Market Dipped But Delta Air Lines (DAL) Gained Today
- Negative Sentiment: Crude oil surged today, pushing jet‑fuel expectations higher — investors fear rising fuel costs will compress airline margins and earnings, driving broad sector weakness and heavy selling in Delta shares. Why Delta (DAL) Shares Are Getting Obliterated Today
- Negative Sentiment: Sectorwide jet‑fuel pressure also hit low‑cost peers (e.g., Frontier), signaling the move is macro/commodity‑driven rather than company‑specific — that increases downside risk across airline stocks, including DAL. Why Frontier (ULCC) Shares Are Sliding Today
- Negative Sentiment: Delta CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares in a disclosed transaction last week — while insider sales can be routine, the timing contributes to negative sentiment when paired with sector pain. SEC filing
Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines
Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 90.6% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the period. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 184.6% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 572 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares during the period. Accredited Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC boosted its position in Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% during the third quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research firms have weighed in on DAL. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $81.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $87.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Thursday, December 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have given a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $80.47.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on DAL
Delta Air Lines Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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