Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.05 EPS

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday. The transportation company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05), FiscalAI reports. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. The business had revenue of $17.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.65 billion. Delta Air Lines updated its Q4 2026 guidance to 1.150-1.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 5.100-5.600 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

NYSE DAL opened at $82.12 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $83.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $79.82. Delta Air Lines has a twelve month low of $55.03 and a twelve month high of $95.68. The company has a market capitalization of $54.00 billion, a PE ratio of 13.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.34. 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 Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In related news, CEO Edward Bastian sold 206,510 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.80, for a total transaction of $19,164,128.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,363,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $126,527,974.40. This represents a 13.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 35,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.72, for a total value of $3,245,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 95,025 shares in the company, valued at $8,810,718. This represents a 26.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have 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 Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on DAL shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research downgraded Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Argus set a $105.00 price objective on Delta Air Lines in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $114.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald set a $101.00 target price on Delta Air Lines in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.01.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

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.