Delta Air Lines (DAL)
NYSEIndustrialsAirlines, Airports & Air ServicesSnapshot 2026-10-29
$80.15-1.83%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NYSEIndustrialsAirlines, Airports & Air ServicesSnapshot 2026-10-29
Research Workspace
Put DAL beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Industrials is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — Operating margin between 6% and 8%: Operating margin: 7.2%.
View ThesisRevenue growth is accelerating — up about 14% over the past year.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, the balance sheet.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskDelta’s case rests on strong recent performance and growing earnings, despite the latest quarterly miss. Revenue grew 16% year over year in September, accelerating from 14% in June; earnings missed. The shares trade at 14.9 times P/E versus peers at 22.5 times, and expectations look modest versus our view. Fuel-cost pressure threatens the 2026 earnings growth objective. Our model puts the next-quarter miss probability near 26%. Operating margin at 7.2% puts a primary thesis pillar under pressure. Peer multiples imply a price about 32% above where it trades; the thesis is on watch.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. DAL is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 25 analysts currently covering DAL (as of Oct 2026).
Based on 14 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for DAL in the last 4 months.
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Compare DAL with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 13 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-30. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Passenger Airlines — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put DAL next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Threatens: Manage capacity growth to protect margins and improve unit revenue
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $80.15
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $80.15.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Fuel-cost inflation and higher fares alongside emptier planes threaten margins, unit revenue, and capacity discipline.
Advances: Expand diversified, high-margin revenue streams
Enhances high-margin revenue streams through improved customer experience.
Advances: Expand diversified, high-margin revenue streams
New business class upgrades enhance high-margin revenue potential.
United's new offering could attract Delta's customers.
Advances: Expand diversified, high-margin revenue streams
Enhances high-margin revenue streams through business-class improvements.
Delays could impact growth and market expansion plans.
Threatens: Grow earnings per share by 20% in 2026
A guidance cut directly challenges the 2026 EPS growth objective and signals airline-sector pressure.
Threatens: Manage capacity growth to protect margins and improve unit revenue
Postponing flights may hinder capacity growth and margin protection.
