Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

by · The Cerbat Gem

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Investors bought 66,798 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 101% compared to the typical volume of 33,207 call options.

Delta Air Lines Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock traded up $2.03 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $78.81. The company had a trading volume of 1,550,443 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,514,996. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The company’s 50-day moving average is $80.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $80.72. The company has a market cap of $51.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.34. Delta Air Lines has a twelve month low of $55.03 and a twelve month high of $95.68.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.05). Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 16.83% and a net margin of 4.58%. The firm had revenue of $17.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.71 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be paid a $0.2150 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Lines’s payout ratio is currently 17.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Delta Air Lines news, Director David G. Dewalt sold 31,756 shares of Delta Air Lines stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.85, for a total value of $2,885,032.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 22,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,031,224.30. The trade was a 58.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Steven Sear sold 40,460 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.55, for a total transaction of $3,785,033.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 104,404 shares in the company, valued at $9,766,994.20. This represents a 27.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 356,726 shares of company stock worth $33,081,037 over the last 90 days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Markowski Investments acquired a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 195.9% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 358 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the period. Atlas Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Main Street Group LTD acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 1st quarter worth $36,000. 69.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on DAL. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price 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, Cantor Fitzgerald set a $101.00 target price on Delta Air Lines in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.65.

Get Our Latest Analysis on DAL

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Delta Air Lines, Inc is a major U.S. airline headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company provides scheduled passenger air transportation to destinations across the United States and international markets, including Europe, Latin America, Asia, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean. Delta operates through a network of hubs and focus cities, offering service under the Delta brand and through regional partners operating as Delta Connection.

In addition to passenger flights, Delta provides air cargo transportation and related logistics services.

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