Kentucky Retirement Systems Purchases 29,689 Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. $DAL

Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its position in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) by 72.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 70,635 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 29,689 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $4,696,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 28,167 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,955,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Utah Retirement Systems lifted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 52,620 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,652,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 6,022 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $454,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 6,472 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $449,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 4,644 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. 69.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of DAL stock opened at $88.70 on Friday. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 12-month low of $50.44 and a 12-month high of $95.68. The company has a market capitalization of $58.33 billion, a PE ratio of 14.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.29. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $85.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.02. 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 (NYSE:DAL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The transportation company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $17.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 prior year, the business earned $2.10 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were issued a $0.215 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. This is a positive change from Delta Air Lines’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is currently 14.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on DAL. HSBC dropped their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $80.20 to $79.30 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Delta Air Lines from $85.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $106.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 9,710 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $737,960.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 138,854 shares in the company, valued at $10,552,904. This trade represents a 6.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 25,000 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.44, for a total value of $2,036,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 95,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,738,836. This represents a 20.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 65,331 shares of company stock worth $5,036,638 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Delta Air Lines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst fair-value estimates moved materially higher. Following Delta’s second-quarter results and management commentary, one estimate rose from $81.81 to $105.52. Analysts cited earnings execution, margins, and growth in premium and loyalty revenue as reasons for the improved outlook. Delta Air Lines Stock Gets Fair Value Boost After Q2 Spurs Analyst Target Hikes
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains supportive. Coverage highlights Delta’s outperformance over the broader market and generally optimistic analyst views. The company’s latest quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $1.56 per share versus a $1.49 consensus estimate and revenue of $17.67 billion versus $17.43 billion expected. Do Wall Street Analysts Like Delta Air Lines Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Delta is benefiting from a less-cyclical revenue mix. Commentary contrasts Delta’s valuation with GE Aerospace’s premium and argues that premium cabins, loyalty programs and other diversified revenue streams make Delta less dependent on main-cabin ticket demand than in the past. Delta’s Profits vs. GE’s Premiums
• Neutral Sentiment: A new DraftKings partnership adds engagement but is not expected to materially change near-term earnings. Delta will offer SkyPicks, a free sports-knowledge contest available through Delta Sync Wi-Fi. Passengers can compete for Delta gift cards without wagering or depositing money, potentially enhancing the in-flight experience and customer engagement. Delta and DraftKings Add Sports Contests to In-Flight Entertainment
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased investor attention is amplifying visibility rather than providing a new fundamental catalyst. Recent coverage focuses on Delta’s relative transportation-sector performance, broker recommendations and its status as a widely followed stock. Are Transportation Stocks Lagging Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines Company 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.