Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL)

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Traders acquired 159,075 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 285% compared to the typical volume of 41,328 call options.

Delta Air Lines Stock Performance

DAL stock traded down $2.28 during trading on Thursday, reaching $89.04. The stock had a trading volume of 1,192,705 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,384,148. The firm has a market cap of $58.58 billion, a PE ratio of 17.74, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $81.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.46. Delta Air Lines has a 52 week low of $55.27 and a 52 week high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05). Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 4.58% and a return on equity of 16.83%. The firm had revenue of $17.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.71 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Delta Air Lines has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.600 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 5.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th were given a dividend of $0.2150 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is presently 17.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DAL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $104.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $102.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.65.

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In other news, CEO Edward Bastian sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.00, for a total transaction of $4,100,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,313,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $107,702,736. This represents a 3.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 28,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.93, for a total value of $2,406,040.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 80,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,876,548.25. The trade was a 25.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 122,950 shares of company stock worth $10,519,626 over the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Markowski Investments purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the second quarter worth about $31,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its position in Delta Air Lines by 164.0% in the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 367 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 195.9% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 358 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the period. Finally, Atlas Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the first quarter worth about $35,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

Delta Air Lines is a U.S.-based airline that provides passenger and cargo transportation. It serves domestic and international destinations through its own flights and relationships with partner airlines, with major hubs including Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, New York, and Salt Lake City. The company offers multiple cabin and fare options, including Delta One, First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin. Its other businesses and services include Delta Cargo, the SkyMiles loyalty program, and aircraft maintenance and repair services through Delta TechOps.