Great Lakes Advisors LLC Purchases New Holdings in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 1,711,136 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $160,265,000. Delta Air Lines comprises approximately 1.2% of Great Lakes Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in DAL. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 195.9% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 358 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in Delta Air Lines by 451.6% during the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 524 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlas Wealth LLC bought a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of DAL stock opened at $85.88 on Wednesday. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1 year low of $55.03 and a 1 year high of $95.68. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $87.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.42 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $56.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.24, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.31.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.07. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 5.79%.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 prior 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, equities analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were given a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This is a positive change from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.26%.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In related news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.85, for a total value of $2,885,032.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 22,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,031,224.30. This represents a 58.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.72, for a total transaction of $3,245,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,810,718. The trade was a 26.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 401,436 shares of company stock valued at $36,617,497. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway increased its Delta position. Warren Buffett’s company reportedly added to its DAL stake in the second quarter, making Delta Berkshire’s only airline holding. The purchase is a notable vote of confidence, although the filing reflects positions as of June 30 and was disclosed later. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire raises stake in world’s largest airline
• Positive Sentiment: Delta is expanding its Austin network. New Paris and San Diego routes, additional leisure flying and more than 70 peak-day departures planned for summer 2027 could strengthen Delta’s presence in a growing market. The airline is also considering elevated hub status for Austin. Delta Expands its Austin Network With New Paris Service
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive on DAL. Delta’s average brokerage recommendation suggests a buy, and separate commentary argues that the airline’s operating structure may provide a “margin moat.” Investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic and should not be used alone. Is Delta a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: Other billionaire-investor activity is not a direct DAL catalyst. David Tepper’s Appaloosa disclosed new second-quarter positions in American Airlines and Boeing, but the filing does not indicate a new Delta investment. The Billionaire Famous for Betting Big on Micron Just Bought Airline Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Expanded capacity and lower-priced premium fares could pressure yields. Delta’s growth plans require sustained demand and favorable pricing, while cheaper first-class offerings may increase competition and reduce the exclusivity of premium products. New first-class fares are affordable

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DAL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $112.00 target price on Delta Air Lines in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Delta Air Lines from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $78.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.40.

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.