Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock

Posted by ABMN Staff on Jan 22nd, 2026

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $72.00 to $84.00 in a report released on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 21.83% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on DAL. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Bank of America increased their price target on Delta Air Lines from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $90.00 to $87.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Argus set a $80.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $80.47.

Read Our Latest Research Report on DAL

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 2.2%

NYSE:DAL opened at $68.95 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.99, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.38. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $67.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $61.23. 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 has a 12-month low of $34.74 and a 12-month high of $73.16.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.02. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.99%. The company had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Rahul D. Samant sold 57,003 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.57, for a total value of $3,965,698.71. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,521,634.22. The trade was a 61.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Erik Storey Snell sold 39,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.02, for a total value of $2,799,608.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,625 shares in the company, valued at $2,530,087.50. This represents a 52.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 351,243 shares of company stock valued at $24,742,087 in the last ninety days. 0.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Savant Capital LLC raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 84.0% during the second quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 181,995 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,951,000 after buying an additional 83,072 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in Delta Air Lines by 39.8% during the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,407,585 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $118,409,000 after acquiring an additional 685,312 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 8.8% in the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 825,916 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $40,619,000 after purchasing an additional 67,002 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the second quarter worth approximately $15,138,000. Finally, Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the third quarter worth approximately $1,141,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: Jefferies raised its price target on DAL to $84 and reiterated a “buy” rating, increasing upside expectations and likely supporting buying interest. Jefferies adjusts price target on Delta Air Lines to $84 from $72; maintains buy rating
Positive Sentiment: DBS Bank upgraded Delta to a “moderate buy,” adding to analyst momentum and providing another catalyst for demand in the shares. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Upgraded at Dbs Bank
Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds: United Airlines’ strong Q4 results and upbeat commentary on premium/corporate travel reinforced expectations of resilient demand across major U.S. carriers, which boosts investor appetite for Delta stock. UAL Stock Taking Flight After Earnings Confirm Strong Demand
Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage highlighted a strategic move described as Delta’s “boldest bet since the pandemic”—the story frames expansion/strategy as material but potentially higher risk/reward; investors will watch execution. Delta Air Lines just made its boldest bet since the pandemic
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst roundups and TV coverage mentioned DAL among active trade ideas (Globe & Mail piece, CNBC “Final Trade”), keeping the stock in focus but without new firm-moving data. Analysts Offer Insights on Industrial Goods Companies: Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Air Canada Final Trade: DAL, NFLX, INTC, RIG
Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Erik Storey Snell sold 39,420 shares at an average $71.02 (SEC filing). Large insider sales can be viewed negatively by some investors, though context (diversification, taxes) matters. SEC filing: insider sale

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.