Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $71.03, but opened at $68.10. Delta Air Lines shares last traded at $70.3680, with a volume of 6,660,794 shares changing hands.

Delta Air Lines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Beat on EPS and strong profit metrics — Delta reported adjusted Q4 EPS of $1.55, topping consensus and showing continued margin resilience, which supports cash flow and capital returns. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Strong 2026 earnings guide — Delta gave FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.50–$7.50 (roughly +20% y/y at midpoint) and Q1 EPS of $0.50–$0.90, signaling management expects continued profit growth. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Fleet and supplier moves that support growth/efficiency — Delta ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and selected GE Aerospace GEnx engines, a long-term capex move that can improve capacity mix and unit costs over time. Engine/Order Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Premium revenue focus — Management highlighted a push toward premium cabins and higher-yield customers as a key profit driver in 2026, which could lift margins if demand holds. WSJ: Premium Flyers
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop improving — Recent CPI came in cooler (~2.7%), easing inflation worries that can help discretionary travel demand; this is a generally supportive macro tailwind but not a direct driver of today’s move. CPI Report
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations — Q4 revenue of $14.61B fell well short of analyst estimates (~$15.8B), and management cited shutdown-related softness in domestic sales; top-line weakness is the main reason investors sold shares. MarketWatch: Revenue Shortfall
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance tone and investor reaction — Although full-year guidance is strong, some investors viewed Q1/near-term guidance as cautious; the mixed message (EPS beat but tepid top-line and cautious near-term tone) prompted selling pressure. Investopedia: Investor Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Shares slipped in early trading — Multiple outlets report the stock declined after the print as traders re-priced the business around the revenue miss and shutdown impact. Schaeffer’s

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on DAL. Wells Fargo & Company set a $87.00 target price on Delta Air Lines in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $71.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research dropped their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-two have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $77.51.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.38.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 23.83% and a net margin of 7.36%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. 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. On average, equities analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP John E. Laughter sold 23,323 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.33, for a total value of $1,453,722.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 81,109 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,055,523.97. The trade was a 22.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP William C. Carroll sold 14,010 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.25, for a total value of $858,112.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $968,730. This represents a 46.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 184.6% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 572 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 371 shares during the period. Accredited Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% during the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares during the period. Finally, Activest Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 2,280.8% during the second quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 619 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 593 shares during the period. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.