Sanders Capital LLC Reduces Position in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Sanders Capital LLC decreased its holdings in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) by 2.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,525,241 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 843,610 shares during the period. Delta Air Lines makes up approximately 2.1% of Sanders Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Sanders Capital LLC’s holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $1,675,557,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 74,572,577 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,667,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,648,071 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 2.6% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,059,848 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,134,083,000 after purchasing an additional 581,421 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,757,932 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $822,127,000 after purchasing an additional 527,570 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 23.3% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 7,661,911 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $434,813,000 after purchasing an additional 1,447,058 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 0.8% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,012,856 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $295,712,000 after buying an additional 48,974 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE DAL opened at $58.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.39 billion, a PE ratio of 7.66, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.34. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a twelve month low of $34.74 and a twelve month high of $76.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $64.07.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $14.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.80 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 20.96% and a net margin of 7.90%.The company’s revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio is 9.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Rahul D. Samant sold 62,528 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.18, for a total transaction of $4,388,215.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,939 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,469,499.02. The trade was a 74.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Steven M. Sear sold 38,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total transaction of $2,896,930.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at $7,835,520.20. The trade was a 26.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 620,550 shares of company stock worth $44,127,667 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on DAL shares. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. HSBC raised their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $73.70 to $80.20 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Evercore upped their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.43.

More Delta Air Lines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies cut its price target to $72 but retained a Buy rating, signaling continued analyst conviction in Delta’s longer‑term recovery and implying upside from current levels. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Given New $72.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group
• Positive Sentiment: Citi put Delta on a 30‑day “positive catalyst watch,” highlighting potential near‑term bullish catalysts (refinery edge, trans‑Atlantic demand) that could support the stock. Citi Research puts Delta and SkyWest on 30‑day positive catalyst watch
• Positive Sentiment: Industry reporting notes that credit‑card partnerships and upfront cash from co‑branded cards are reshaping airline loyalty economics and improving non‑fare profit streams — a tailwind for Delta’s margins and cash flow. Credit‑card cash reshapes US airline loyalty — and profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn trimmed its price target to $70 but kept a Buy rating, reflecting mixed views: confidence in Delta’s fundamentals but recognition of near‑term capacity and margin pressure. Rothschild & Co Redburn Lowers Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) Price Target to $70
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage weighing valuation: some outlets argue the pullback makes DAL attractive versus historic ranges, while others flag the stock’s YTD weakness — a reminder that consensus upside still coexists with risk. Is Delta Air Lines Stock Underperforming the Nasdaq?
• Negative Sentiment: Delta extended a pause on New York–Tel Aviv flights through month‑end amid regional volatility, reducing international capacity and near‑term revenue on that route. Delta extends pause on New York‑Tel Aviv flights through month‑end
• Negative Sentiment: Oil has surged toward $100/barrel, prompting sectorwide downdrafts as fuel costs and perceived travel risk rise — a primary immediate headwind for airline margins and stock performance. Airline Stocks Were Pricing 2026 Like A Runway—Oil Just Made It A Cliff Edge
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded Delta to a “Hold,” adding to mixed sell‑side signals and increasing short‑term sentiment pressure. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Cut to “Hold” at TD Cowen

Delta Air Lines 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.