Delta Air Lines (DAL) Stock Gets Three Price Target Raises in One Week

TLDR

• Delta reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $0.64, beating the $0.56 consensus estimate
• Revenue came in at $15.85B, well above the $14.84B consensus
• CEO Ed Bastian said results were over 40% higher year over year, with $1.3B in profit-sharing payouts
• TD Cowen raised its price target on DAL to $84 from $76; Citi lifted its target to $79 from $77; Jefferies raised to $81 from $78 — all maintaining Buy ratings
• Net debt is at its lowest level since before COVID, according to TD Cowen

Delta Air Lines (DAL) beat Q1 earnings estimates and pulled in three analyst price target upgrades in a single week, as Wall Street responded to a stronger-than-expected earnings report.

Delta Air Lines, Inc., DAL

The airline posted Q1 adjusted EPS of $0.64, topping the $0.56 consensus. Revenue hit $15.85B versus the $14.84B estimate — a meaningful gap that caught analyst attention.

CEO Ed Bastian said earnings were “more than 40 percent higher” year over year. That’s despite elevated fuel costs and some operational headaches along the way. The airline also paid out $1.3B in profit-sharing to employees during the quarter.

Three Firms, Three Upgrades

TD Cowen was first to move, raising its price target from $76 to $84 while keeping a Buy rating. The firm said fuel volatility actually shows how durable Delta’s business model is — the idea being that weaker rivals pulling back could lift Delta’s long-term revenue per available seat mile (RASM) floor.

TD Cowen also flagged that Delta’s net debt is now at its lowest point since before COVID — a detail that matters for a company that spent years digging out from pandemic-era losses.

Citi followed, lifting its target from $77 to $79 with a Buy rating intact. The bank pointed to strong demand trends backing the earnings beat, and said the results reinforce Delta’s position across key market segments.

Jefferies came in last, raising its target from $78 to $81. The firm described Delta’s model as “diversified and durable,” saying it positions the carrier for outperformance in the current fuel environment.

Three separate Buy ratings, three price target raises — all within a few days of the Q1 print. That kind of coordinated reaction doesn’t happen often.

What the Numbers Say

Delta’s Q1 revenue of $15.85B represents real growth. The airline’s ability to beat on both the top and bottom line — while dealing with higher fuel costs — points to solid demand holding up.

The net debt figure is another quiet positive. Airlines carry a lot of debt by nature, so getting back below pre-COVID levels is a structural improvement, not just an accounting footnote.

The profit-sharing payout of $1.3B is also worth noting. That’s real money out the door to employees, and it signals the company felt confident enough about its cash position to make that commitment.

Jefferies’ price target of $81 sits between Citi’s $79 and TD Cowen’s $84 — the spread between the three targets is relatively tight, suggesting broad alignment on where DAL’s valuation stands.

The most recent move came from Jefferies on April 12, 2026, one day after Citi’s updated note and four days after the earnings report itself.

The post Delta Air Lines (DAL) Stock Gets Three Price Target Raises in One Week appeared first on CoinCentral.