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

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 5.100-5.600 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 5.520. Delta Air Lines also updated its Q4 2026 guidance to 1.150-1.650 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 0.2%

DAL opened at $82.32 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $54.13 billion, a PE ratio of 13.65, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The business has a 50 day moving average of $83.51 and a 200-day moving average of $79.84. Delta Air Lines has a 52 week low of $55.03 and a 52 week high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.77 by ($0.05). Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 5.79%. The firm had revenue of $17.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.71 earnings per share. Delta Air Lines’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Equities research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on DAL shares. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup upped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $100.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.24.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 22,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,031,224.30. This trade represents a 58.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Steven Sear sold 40,460 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 104,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,766,994.20. The trade was a 27.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 356,726 shares of company stock valued at $33,081,037. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta reported record September-quarter revenue of approximately $17.6 billion, up 21.1% year over year, reflecting resilient passenger demand, healthy yields and strength in its premium business. Management said bookings remain strong and expects revenue to grow about 20% in the December quarter. Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects higher fares to help offset elevated fuel expenses and projects approximately $2.5 billion of 2026 free cash flow, while targeting more than $2 billion of debt repayment. These plans support Delta’s balance-sheet and shareholder-return narrative. Delta Air Lines cuts 2026 forecast on fuel surge, but CEO says demand is still strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly favorable, including a Buy rating from Morgan Stanley. Call-option activity was also above normal, suggesting some traders continue to anticipate a recovery despite the guidance reduction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the company can absorb roughly $6 billion in additional fuel costs and sees no meaningful deterioration in travel demand. However, the timing and persistence of fuel-price relief remain uncertain. Delta Air Lines cuts profit forecast as fuel costs outpace fare gains
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted third-quarter EPS was $1.72, below the $1.77 consensus, while revenue also narrowly missed estimates. The earnings miss was Delta’s first in roughly two years and indicates that rising costs are already pressuring margins.
• Negative Sentiment: Jet-fuel expense increased more than 60% year over year, overwhelming revenue gains. Delta cut 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $5.10–$5.60 from $6.50–$7.50; fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $1.15–$1.65 and revenue guidance of $17.5 billion were also below consensus. DAL Q3 Earnings Miss Estimates as Higher Fuel Costs Hurt Margins

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.