Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 15,936,395 shares, a decline of 19.8% from the January 15th total of 19,874,723 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 7,592,551 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 7,592,551 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.1 days. Approximately 2.5% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, SVP William C. Carroll sold 5,967 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.10, for a total value of $406,352.70. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 7,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $489,094.20. The trade was a 45.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Peter W. Carter sold 27,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.82, for a total value of $2,020,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 421,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,554,886.08. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 520,550 shares of company stock valued at $37,101,667. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta announced a $1.3 billion profit-sharing payout to employees tied to strong results — a sign of healthy profitability that boosts employee morale and retention, though it is a cash distribution. Delta spreads the love this Valentine’s Day with $1.3B profit sharing payout
• Positive Sentiment: Delta hit a trailing high on the NYSE Composite, signaling recent buying momentum and renewed investor interest. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Hits Trailing High on NYSE Composite
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note international demand is rebounding and transatlantic capacity is at record levels — a tailwind for revenue recovery and margin expansion. DAL’s International Air Travel Demand in Good Shape: Sign for Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: AI-driven models and analysts are split on DAL — fundamentals and guidance improved, but models flag lingering risks (costs, competition), producing mixed price forecasts. AI Models Split on Delta Air Lines as Fundamentals Improve but Risks Linger
• Negative Sentiment: Two insider transactions surfaced this week: an EVP sold ~$2.90M of DAL stock and another insider sold ~$2.02M (combined ≈ $4.92M). Large insider sales can be perceived as profit-taking and may pressure sentiment. Insider Selling: Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) EVP Sells $2,896,930.00 in Stock Insider Selling: Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Insider Sells $2,020,140.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks flagged why DAL fell more than the broader market on the latest session: a mix of profit-taking after recent gains and concerns such as revenue coming in below some estimates. Those headlines likely amplified selling pressure. Here’s Why Delta Air Lines (DAL) Fell More Than Broader Market
• Negative Sentiment: Union activity at major U.S. airlines (American example) is ramping up pressure on boards about lagging profit — an industry signal that labor costs and wage demands could reaccelerate, a potential headwind for margins. American Airlines unions ratchet up pressure on board over lagging profit

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on DAL shares. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their price target on Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.47.

Delta Air Lines Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock opened at $68.95 on Friday. Delta Air Lines has a 1 year low of $34.74 and a 1 year high of $76.39. The firm has a market cap of $45.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.99, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a 50-day moving average of $70.02 and a 200 day moving average of $62.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.34.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Delta Air Lines has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-7.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be issued a $0.1875 dividend. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 26th. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is 9.78%.

About Delta Air Lines

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.