Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.150-1.650 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.470. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.5 billion-$17.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $18.4 billion. Delta Air Lines also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.100-5.600 EPS.

Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $82.12 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $54.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.34. The company’s fifty day moving average is $83.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Delta Air Lines has a 12-month low of $55.03 and a 12-month high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05). Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 17.52%. The company had revenue of $17.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.65 billion. 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 analysts expect that Delta Air Lines will post 5.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.2150 per share. 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 (DPR) is 14.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $101.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $101.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Zacks Research cut shares of Delta Air Lines from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Tuesday. Twenty-three investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Delta Air Lines currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.01.

Insider Activity

In other Delta Air Lines news, CEO Edward Bastian sold 206,510 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.80, for a total value 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 $126,527,974.40. This represents a 13.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Steven Sear sold 40,460 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,766,994.20. This represents a 27.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 356,726 shares of company stock valued at $33,081,037. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

More Delta Air Lines News

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

About Delta Air Lines

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.