Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Hits New 12-Month High After Analyst Upgrade

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday after Evercore raised their price target on the stock from $85.00 to $105.00. Evercore currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Delta Air Lines traded as high as $89.32 and last traded at $88.6170, with a volume of 1019016 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $86.72.

Several other research firms have also commented on DAL. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on Delta Air Lines from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wolfe Research lowered their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $73.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Delta Air Lines from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $85.14.

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In related news, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total transaction of $2,036,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,738,836. This represents a 20.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John E. Laughter sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total transaction of $1,074,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 54,369 shares in the company, valued at $3,893,364.09. This trade represents a 21.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 149,635 shares of company stock valued at $10,833,855. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

More Delta Air Lines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore raised its price target on Delta Air Lines to $105 from $85 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling confidence in further upside. Evercore raises price target on Delta Air Lines
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies also lifted its target on Delta to $100 from $81 and kept a buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has room to run. Jefferies raises price target on Delta Air Lines
• Positive Sentiment: Airline stocks are rallying as crude oil and jet fuel prices retreat, which should help lower operating costs and improve margins across the sector. Airline stocks rise as oil retreats
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains broadly constructive ahead of Delta’s Q2 2026 earnings report, with the company seen entering the quarter with strong momentum. What to Expect From Delta Air Lines’ Q2 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta was mentioned as one of several transportation stocks making new highs, reflecting broader sector strength rather than company-specific news. 3 Hot Transportation Stocks for Your Short List
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta CEO Ed Bastian said airfares are being supported by tight industry supply, which could help pricing but also suggests fare relief for consumers may not come quickly. Delta CEO comments on ticket prices
• Negative Sentiment: A fire at Delta’s refinery in Pennsylvania is a potential operational concern, though the market impact is still unclear. Fire breaks out at Delta Air Lines refinery

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 24,211,101 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,680,249,000 after acquiring an additional 1,012,265 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Delta Air Lines by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,163,644 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,607,557,000 after purchasing an additional 165,729 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Delta Air Lines by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,413,841 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,215,766,000 after purchasing an additional 202,865 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 137.4% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 13,811,787 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $958,538,000 after purchasing an additional 7,994,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,310,804 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $854,370,000 after buying an additional 56,455 shares during the period. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $76.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.91. The firm has a market cap of $60.42 billion, a PE ratio of 13.41, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.42.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $14.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.05 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.28% and a net margin of 6.87%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 5.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be issued a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. This is an increase from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.93%.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

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.