Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $93.5958.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup increased their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $79.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Raymond James Financial lowered Delta Air Lines from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $80.00 to $104.00 in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, HSBC lowered their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.20 to $79.30 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta announced new “Basic Business” fares, expanding its premium-cabin pricing strategy with a lower-cost option that could help fill seats while preserving some pricing power. Delta launches ‘basic business’ fares without lounge access, seat selection
• Positive Sentiment: UBS said Delta’s second-quarter results should come in slightly above the top end of guidance, but noted the bigger catalyst will be management’s outlook for the third quarter and full year. Delta Air Lines outlook seen as key driver of Q2 earnings reaction, UBS says
• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target on Delta and maintained a positive view, reflecting continued optimism around the airline’s earnings power and premium positioning. Susquehanna Boosts Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Price Target to $108.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta’s stock is near recent highs and has had a sharp rally this year, so investors may be demanding strong Q3 guidance and not just an earnings beat to justify further upside. Delta Air Lines (DAL) Stock Near Highs Ahead of Q2 Earnings: Buy, Hold, or Sell?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising crude prices are pressuring airline stocks, including DAL, because higher jet-fuel costs can squeeze margins if fares do not rise enough to offset the increase. Delta Stock Faces Fuel-Cost Headwinds Following US Military Strikes Against Iran

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 5,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.00, for a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 133,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,574,466. The trade was a 3.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John E. Laughter sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.61, for a total value of $1,074,150.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 54,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,893,364.09. The trade was a 21.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 149,635 shares of company stock valued at $10,833,855 in the last 90 days. 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 stock. Quantum Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines during the 2nd quarter valued at about $271,000. Kwmg LLC boosted its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 0.5% in the second quarter. Kwmg LLC now owns 125,536 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,758,000 after acquiring an additional 645 shares during the period. Meriwether Wealth & Planning LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines during the second quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 195.9% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 358 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares during the period. Finally, Czech National Bank increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 185,994 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $17,420,000 after acquiring an additional 9,085 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock opened at $87.39 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $80.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Delta Air Lines has a 12 month low of $49.83 and a 12 month high of $95.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.29.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 8th. The transportation company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $14.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.05 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 6.87% and a return on equity of 20.28%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.46 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 5.72 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 9th will be paid a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. This is a positive change from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.93%.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

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.