Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) CEO Edward Bastian Sells 100,000 Shares

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total transaction of $7,026,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,363,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $95,795,856.48. This trade represents a 6.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Delta Air Lines Stock Down 6.9%

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $65.66 on Friday. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 12 month low of $34.74 and a 12 month high of $76.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $69.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.99. The company has a market cap of $42.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.56, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.37.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.96% and a net margin of 7.90%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. 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, equities research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is currently 9.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on DAL. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $81.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $80.47.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 90.6% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the period. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in Delta Air Lines by 184.6% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 572 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% during the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC raised its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 1,016.0% in the third quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.93% 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: Delta announced another order to refresh its narrowbody fleet with 34 Airbus A321neo jets — these newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft improve unit costs and premium-seat capacity over time, supporting margin expansion and premium revenue potential. Delta orders 34 more Airbus A321neo jets in fleet renewal push
• Positive Sentiment: Management is also pursuing wider fleet growth (widebody expansion) to chase long‑haul and premium demand — a structural growth push that can boost long‑term revenue per available seat mile if executed well. Delta Air Lines Aims at Fleet Growth: More Upside Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Yesterday Delta closed higher, reflecting recent operational strength and beat/guide context from January earnings, but that momentum was overtaken by today’s macro cost shock. Why the Market Dipped But Delta Air Lines (DAL) Gained Today
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil surged today, pushing jet‑fuel expectations higher — investors fear rising fuel costs will compress airline margins and earnings, driving broad sector weakness and heavy selling in Delta shares. Why Delta (DAL) Shares Are Getting Obliterated Today
• Negative Sentiment: Sectorwide jet‑fuel pressure also hit low‑cost peers (e.g., Frontier), signaling the move is macro/commodity‑driven rather than company‑specific — that increases downside risk across airline stocks, including DAL. Why Frontier (ULCC) Shares Are Sliding Today
• Negative Sentiment: Delta CEO Edward Bastian sold 100,000 shares in a disclosed transaction last week — while insider sales can be routine, the timing contributes to negative sentiment when paired with sector pain. SEC filing

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.