Waycross Partners LLC Boosts Position in Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Waycross Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) by 3.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 418,263 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,938 shares during the quarter. Delta Air Lines comprises approximately 2.7% of Waycross Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Waycross Partners LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Delta Air Lines worth $27,806,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DAL. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 10.1% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 13,180 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $876,000 after buying an additional 1,206 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its stake in Delta Air Lines by 7.1% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 479,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $31,851,000 after acquiring an additional 31,800 shares in the last quarter. Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 1st quarter worth $430,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 81.6% in the first quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 603 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 15.0% in the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 1,469,652 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $97,702,000 after acquiring an additional 191,345 shares during the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.00, for a total value of $395,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 133,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,574,466. The trade was a 3.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total transaction of $2,036,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 95,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,738,836. The trade was a 20.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 65,331 shares of company stock valued at $5,036,638 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

NYSE DAL opened at $84.15 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 52-week low of $50.44 and a 52-week high of $95.68. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $82.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $73.08. The firm has a market cap of $55.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.29.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.43 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 5.79%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.10 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be issued a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 9th. This is an increase from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.26%.

Key Headlines Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delta and United both posted better-than-expected Q2 results, reinforcing that travel demand remains resilient and helping improve sentiment toward airline shares. Delta vs. United Airlines Stock: Which Is the Better Buy After Q2 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Delta is being viewed as a beneficiary of strong fare pricing, especially in premium travel, which could support revenue and earnings even if overall demand normalizes. Delta’s Higher Fares And Shelf Offering Could Be A Game Changer For Delta Air Lines (DAL)
• Positive Sentiment: Another article highlighted that Delta is resetting fares higher as premium and corporate travel holds up, suggesting pricing power remains intact despite higher fuel costs. Delta (DAL) Is Resetting Fares Higher As Premium Travel Demand Holds Up
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary also pointed to Delta as a long-term momentum name, which can add to bullish investor interest after recent earnings strength. Why Delta Air Lines (DAL) is a top momentum stock for the long term
• Neutral Sentiment: Peers are still warning that higher jet fuel costs could pressure margins, so investors are balancing stronger demand against a potentially tougher cost backdrop. UAL Q2 Earnings Beat as Strong Yields Offset Fuel Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: San Antonio’s airport expansion plan is a broader infrastructure development story and is not a direct catalyst for Delta, though it reflects continued airport investment in the travel market. San Antonio to Borrow $944 Million for Major Airport Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: News about Delta extending refund-policy flexibility on some international routes underscores ongoing geopolitical disruption that could weigh on operations and booking trends. Major airline extends refund policy for Dubai flights

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DAL has been the subject of several research reports. Raymond James Financial cut Delta Air Lines from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $80.00 to $104.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $107.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Argus set a $105.00 price objective on Delta Air Lines in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $80.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.40.

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.