Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Receives $79.76 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-six analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twenty-three have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $79.8875.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on DAL shares. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $76.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $95.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Delta Air Lines from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Delta Air Lines to $98 from $95 and kept a buy rating, pointing to improved sector outlook and implying meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Investopedia highlighted a more constructive outlook for airline stocks, noting that some analysts expect airline profits and shares to benefit from better industry conditions.
• Positive Sentiment: Delta recently reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates and posting 9.4% year-over-year revenue growth, which continues to support investor confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta’s strategic investment in Wheels Up received an extension and new financing support, which may help that partnership but does not appear to be a major direct catalyst for DAL shares.
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reported that Delta’s flight cancellations have increased, and the company is adding staff to improve operations ahead of the busy summer travel season, raising near-term execution concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Allison Ausband disclosed two insider sales totaling 14,710 shares, which can weigh on sentiment even though insider selling is not always a fundamental red flag.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP John E. Laughter sold 69,304 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.15, for a total transaction of $4,723,067.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 69,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,727,497.35. This represents a 49.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total transaction of $7,026,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,363,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $95,795,856.48. The trade was a 6.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 219,635 shares of company stock valued at $15,428,855. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position 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 during the period. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Delta Air Lines Stock Up 4.3%

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $79.39 on Wednesday. Delta Air Lines has a 12 month low of $45.28 and a 12 month high of $79.59. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $69.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of $52.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.25.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.03. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 6.87% and a return on equity of 20.28%. The firm had revenue of $14.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 5.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.93%.

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.