DailyIQ
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Sector:IndustrialsAll sectors
Last updated 2 minutes ago

DAL·Delta Air Lines, Inc.

$.
-. (-.%)
After Hours
High
$92.51
Open
$87.94
Market Cap
58.38B
52W High
$95.68
Low
$85.35
P. Close
$88.98
P/E
13.04
52W Low
$49.83
Fwd P/E
10.39
DailyIQ Est.
$106.35
Technical Score (1D)
73
BUY
News Sentiment
79
BULLISH
The most recent market move saw a semiconductor rally with SK Hynix, Micron, and Sandisk surging, but this sector shift does not directly affect Delta Air Lines. Meanwhile, analysts are eyeing Delta’s upcoming Q2 earnings, where revenue is projected to rise 13 % year‑over‑year to $17.53 billion and adjusted EPS around $1.51. The airline’s guidance indicates a 6‑8 % operating margin and a pretax profit near $1 billion, even with an 8 % jump in fuel costs to $2.59 billion. Because premium‑segment growth is expected to offset higher fuel expenses, the earnings release could validate the company’s resilience to cost pressures. Consensus estimates for the quarter are slightly higher, with revenue at $18.85 billion and EPS at $1.50, suggesting analysts view the period as a constructive setup for upside if results beat expectations. In addition, Delta has introduced a basic business fare tier aimed at price‑sensitive travelers, which could lift load factor and revenue per available seat mile. This product expansion may shift the airline’s pricing strategy and alter its competitive stance against rivals offering similar fare options. Traders should watch the earnings announcement for any guidance revisions, the actual fuel cost impact, and the performance of the new basic business fare in terms of load factor and revenue per seat. Monitoring these items will help gauge whether Delta’s cost‑control measures and product mix adjustments translate into stronger short‑term performance. The next 1‑10 trading days will be critical for assessing how the earnings surprise and fare strategy play out in the market.
Earnings Summary
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a global air carrier that offers scheduled passenger and cargo transportation services, operating a fleet of approximately 1,292 aircraft and leveraging key domestic and international hubs such as Atlanta, Minneapolis‑St. Paul, Amsterdam, and London‑Heathrow. The airline also provides maintenance, engineering, and vacation package services, positioning it as a comprehensive travel provider within the highly competitive airlines sector. In the most recent two quarters, Delta reported EPS of $0.64 in Q1 2026 and $1.56 in Q2 2026, a sharp decline from the $1.71 EPS in Q3 2025 followed by a rebound in Q2 2026, while revenue fell from $16,673 million in Q3 2025 to $14,200 million in Q1 2026 before rising to $17,666 million in Q2 2026; the company beat earnings estimates in six of the last seven quarters, missing only Q1 2026, and exceeded revenue forecasts in Q4 2025 and Q2 2026 but fell short in Q1 2026. Historically, Delta has shown a YoY revenue growth that accelerated to a 3.3 % increase from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, and the company has maintained a consistent pattern of earnings beats despite occasional revenue misses, reflecting resilient profitability amid fluctuating fuel costs. Recent news highlights a sharp rise in oil prices due to geopolitical tensions, which has tightened fuel margins, and Delta’s introduction of a basic business fare tier aimed at price‑sensitive travelers, potentially boosting load factor and revenue per available seat mile; analysts are also scrutinizing the airline’s fuel‑hedging strategy and the impact of its inclusion in the Russell 1000 Growth index on valuation. Investors should watch for guidance revisions on revenue and operating margin, the effectiveness of fuel‑hedging and cost‑control measures, and the performance of the new fare structure in terms of load factor and revenue per seat, as these factors will shape Delta’s short‑term profitability outlook.

EPS

EstBeatMiss
$0.42$0.90$1.37$1.84$2.32Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q2'26$1.49$1.56+4.6%
Q1'26$1.59$0.64-59.8%
Q4'25$1.54$1.55+0.5%
Q3'25$1.53$1.71+11.9%
Q2'25$2.04$2.10+2.7%

Revenue

EstBeatMiss
$13.6B$14.9B$16.2B$17.5B$18.8BQ2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q2'26$17.8B$17.7B-0.7%
Q1'26$18.2B$14.2B-22.0%
Q4'25$14.8B$16.0B+7.8%
Q3'25 - $16.7B -
Q2'25 - $16.6B -
Full Earnings BreakdownEstimates, actuals, guidance, and historical context
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Market Data

DAL Stock Snapshot

DAL is currently trading at $89.17, giving Delta Air Lines, Inc. a market cap of 58.38B and a P/E ratio of 13.0. Today's range spans $85.35–$92.51, with shares opening at $87.94 and moving up $0.19 (0.2%) from the prior close. DailyIQ's technical score sits at 73/100 (BUY) with a news sentiment reading of 79/100.

Over the past year DAL has traded between $49.83 and $95.68 - the current price is +78.9% off the 52-week low and -6.8% from the high. 33 analysts cover the stock with a Buy consensus and a mean 12-month target of $98.84 (range $48.00–$116.00), implying upside of +10.8%.

Short interest data on large-cap Industrials names like DAL (58.38B market cap) becomes relevant when the technical picture turns bullish - a BUY on 73/100 with bullish sentiment (79/100) is exactly the kind of setup that makes shorts nervous. Price at $89.17 (in the upper portion of its 52-week range in $49.83–$95.68). The current P/E ratio stands at 13.0. Short covering in a bullish technical phase can add a secondary momentum layer on top of genuine long-side conviction - a dynamic worth monitoring in the current setup.

What makes DAL's BUY setup (73/100) particularly actionable at 58.38B in Industrials capitalization is the scale-to-move ratio: large enough to feature on institutional mandates but not so large that the percentage upside is already compressed by index inertia. At $89.17 (in the upper portion of its 52-week range in $49.83–$95.68), with sentiment running bullish at 79/100, the setup rewards conviction-sized positioning more than it does speculative small bets.