Royal Fund Management LLC Buys Shares of 25,198 Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Royal Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 25,198 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,675,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital International Investors lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 1,012,265 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 165,729 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1.2% in 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 acquiring an additional 202,865 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 137.4% during 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 period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,310,804 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $854,370,000 after purchasing an additional 56,455 shares in the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Stock Up 2.8%

DAL stock opened at $88.70 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $85.07 and its 200 day moving average is $74.02. The stock has a market cap of $58.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1-year low of $50.44 and a 1-year high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced its 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. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. The business 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 earnings per share. Delta Air Lines’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were given a dividend of $0.215 per share. This is an increase from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio is 14.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on DAL shares. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Seaport Research Partners increased their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. HSBC cut their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.20 to $79.30 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.40.

Key Delta Air Lines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst fair-value estimates moved materially higher. Following Delta’s second-quarter results and management commentary, one estimate rose from $81.81 to $105.52. Analysts cited earnings execution, margins, and growth in premium and loyalty revenue as reasons for the improved outlook. Delta Air Lines Stock Gets Fair Value Boost After Q2 Spurs Analyst Target Hikes
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains supportive. Coverage highlights Delta’s outperformance over the broader market and generally optimistic analyst views. The company’s latest quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $1.56 per share versus a $1.49 consensus estimate and revenue of $17.67 billion versus $17.43 billion expected. Do Wall Street Analysts Like Delta Air Lines Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Delta is benefiting from a less-cyclical revenue mix. Commentary contrasts Delta’s valuation with GE Aerospace’s premium and argues that premium cabins, loyalty programs and other diversified revenue streams make Delta less dependent on main-cabin ticket demand than in the past. Delta’s Profits vs. GE’s Premiums
• Neutral Sentiment: A new DraftKings partnership adds engagement but is not expected to materially change near-term earnings. Delta will offer SkyPicks, a free sports-knowledge contest available through Delta Sync Wi-Fi. Passengers can compete for Delta gift cards without wagering or depositing money, potentially enhancing the in-flight experience and customer engagement. Delta and DraftKings Add Sports Contests to In-Flight Entertainment
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased investor attention is amplifying visibility rather than providing a new fundamental catalyst. Recent coverage focuses on Delta’s relative transportation-sector performance, broker recommendations and its status as a widely followed stock. Are Transportation Stocks Lagging Delta Air Lines

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.00, for a total value of $395,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 133,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,574,466. This represents a 3.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total value of $2,036,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at $7,738,836. The trade was a 20.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 65,331 shares of company stock valued at $5,036,638 over the last ninety days. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Delta Air Lines 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.