Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.150-1.650 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.470. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.5 billion-$17.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $18.4 billion. Delta Air Lines also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.100-5.600 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock opened at $82.12 on Friday. Delta Air Lines has a fifty-two week low of $55.03 and a fifty-two week high of $95.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $83.61 and a 200 day moving average of $79.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.62, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.42.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $17.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.65 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. Delta Air Lines has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.600 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines will post 5.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a $0.2150 dividend. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DAL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price target on Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Tuesday. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.01.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Michael P. Huerta sold 3,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.11, for a total value of $291,741.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 32,525 shares in the company, valued at $3,060,927.75. This represents a 8.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 40,460 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.55, for a total value of $3,785,033.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,766,994.20. This represents a 27.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 356,726 shares of company stock worth $33,081,037. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Demand remained resilient, with record September-quarter revenue, healthy yield growth and management expecting December-quarter revenue to increase approximately 20%. CEO Ed Bastian also said fares could rise further as fuel prices remain elevated. Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Delta expects approximately $2.5 billion of 2026 free cash flow, a double-digit return on invested capital and more than $2 billion of debt repayment, supporting its balance-sheet improvement and longer-term investment case. Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have generally maintained positive ratings despite cutting estimates and price targets, suggesting confidence in Delta’s premium-travel strategy and demand durability but greater caution around near-term costs. Wall Street Cut Its Delta Air Estimates Below the Company’s Own Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Delta reduced its full-year 2026 EPS guidance to $5.10–$5.60, below the $5.52 analyst consensus at the midpoint. Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $1.15–$1.65 also brackets a midpoint below consensus, while revenue guidance of $17.5 billion trails the $18.4 billion estimate. Delta Air Lines cuts profit forecast as fuel costs outpace fare gains
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.72 missed the $1.77 consensus, marking Delta’s first earnings miss in two years. The combination of higher fuel expenses and weaker-than-expected guidance is driving the negative investor reaction despite solid underlying demand. Delta Air Lines cuts 2026 forecast on fuel surge

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines, Inc is a major U.S. airline that provides scheduled passenger and air freight transportation. The company serves destinations throughout the United States and connects customers to international markets across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean through its own operations and regional airline partners.

Delta offers multiple classes of passenger service, including premium cabins and its main cabin, along with travel-related products such as vacation packages and loyalty benefits through the SkyMiles program.