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

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors purchased 159,075 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 285% compared to the typical volume of 41,328 call options.

Delta Air Lines News Roundup

Investors following DAL have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: CFRA turned bullish on Delta, a favorable analyst view that could bolster investor confidence. CFRA turns bullish on Delta Air Lines
• Positive Sentiment: Holiday travel demand is holding strong, supporting Delta’s revenue outlook, although the company is also evaluating how AI-powered fare-shopping agents could affect ticket sales and customer-data protection. Delta CEO discusses holiday demand and AI fare-shopping agents
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Ed Bastian said Delta is taking a long-term approach after passing on SpaceX’s Starlink service; the item highlights a potential connectivity issue but does not identify an immediate financial impact. Delta CEO responds to Starlink criticism

Delta Air Lines Stock Down 0.5%

DAL stock opened at $86.09 on Friday. Delta Air Lines has a 52-week low of $55.27 and a 52-week high of $95.68. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $81.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $77.66. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $56.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.43.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 9th. The transportation company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.71 EPS. The firm’s revenue 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 research analysts anticipate that Delta Air Lines will post 5.33 EPS for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th were issued a $0.2150 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 17.17%.

Insider Activity at Delta Air Lines

In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Alain Bellemare sold 28,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.93, for a total transaction of $2,406,040.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 80,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,876,548.25. This trade represents a 25.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, President Peter Carter sold 44,950 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.29, for a total transaction of $4,013,585.50. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 379,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,908,234.66. The trade was a 10.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 140,718 shares of company stock worth $12,100,089. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. 71 West Capital Partners boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. 71 West Capital Partners now owns 5,518 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $461,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 3.8% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,535 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Arlington Trust Co LLC increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 11.7% in the second quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 1,238 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 3.5% in the second quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC now owns 3,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $365,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Delta Air Lines by 6.6% in the third quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 2,119 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.93% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on DAL shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $101.00 price target on Delta Air Lines in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Barclays lowered their price target on Delta Air Lines from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.65.

About Delta Air Lines

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.