Jefferies Financial Group Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock Price

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) had its price target cut by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $84.00 to $72.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 24.31% from the company’s previous close.

DAL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $90.00 to $87.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Seaport Research Partners upped their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, HSBC lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $73.70 to $80.20 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $79.43.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

NYSE DAL traded down $1.22 during trading on Thursday, hitting $57.92. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 8,629,252 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,966,324. Delta Air Lines has a 52 week low of $34.74 and a 52 week high of $76.39. The firm has a market cap of $37.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.34. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $68.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) 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 net margin of 7.90% and a return on equity of 20.96%. Delta Air Lines’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $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. Equities research analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In related news, EVP Erik Storey Snell sold 39,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.02, for a total value of $2,799,608.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,530,087.50. This trade represents a 52.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 173,230 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.00, for a total value of $12,299,330.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 632,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,930,433. This trade represents a 21.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 620,550 shares of company stock valued at $44,127,667. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 137.4% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 13,811,787 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $958,538,000 after acquiring an additional 7,994,004 shares in the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the fourth quarter worth $471,532,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in Delta Air Lines by 1,579.2% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 2,673,400 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $185,534,000 after purchasing an additional 2,514,193 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 44.3% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,155,776 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $426,441,000 after acquiring an additional 1,890,521 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 23.9% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 9,496,296 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $659,043,000 after purchasing an additional 1,834,385 shares during the period. 69.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi reiterated a Buy rating citing resilient earnings, a “refinery edge” (helping fuel economics) and upside in trans‑Atlantic demand — a near‑term supportive signal from a large broker. Delta Air Lines: Buy Rating Backed by Resilient Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: At least one Wall Street analyst highlighted large upside (reported as ~50% potential this year), reinforcing that some analysts view the pullback as an entry point relative to consensus targets near the $80s. Delta Air Lines Price Prediction
• Neutral Sentiment: Delta will present at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference (Mar 17) — a chance for management to update guidance and answer investor questions; could move the stock depending on tone. Delta Air Lines to Present at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces are debating valuation after the recent selloff — some see an attractive entry given long‑term gains, others urge caution; this keeps sentiment mixed. Is Delta Air Lines (DAL) Pricing Look Attractive…
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded DAL from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” reducing near‑term conviction from one sell‑side firm and adding selling pressure. TD Cowen Has Lowered Expectations for Delta Air Lines
• Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn trimmed its price target to $70 (from $72) while keeping a Buy — a modest negative signal that highlights accelerating domestic capacity and margin risk. Rothschild & Co Redburn Lowers DAL Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Widening geopolitical conflict (Iran) has raised jet‑fuel prices and led to flight cancellations/exposure concerns — a sector headwind that has weighed on Delta and peers. This macro/operational risk is the largest near‑term negative for airline margins and demand. Is the Airline Stock Dip After the Iran Attacks Justified?

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.