Delta Air Lines (DAL) Stock: Analysts Raise Price Targets Ahead of Q4 Report Tuesday

TLDR

• Delta Air Lines reports Q4 earnings on January 13, with analysts expecting earnings of $1.53 per share, down 17% year-over-year
• Revenue is forecast at $14.68 billion, a 6% decline from the same quarter last year
• Goldman Sachs raised its price target from $68 to $77, citing steady travel demand and stronger corporate bookings
• Susquehanna lifted its target to $85 from $70, expecting airlines to benefit from brand loyalty and diverse revenue streams
• DAL stock has climbed 11% in 2025, outperforming the consumer discretionary sector’s 3% gain over the last month

Delta Air Lines will release its fourth quarter earnings on January 13. Wall Street expects mixed results.

Analysts forecast earnings of $1.53 per share. That represents a 17% drop from the same period last year.

Delta Air Lines, Inc., DAL

Revenue is projected at $14.68 billion. The figure marks a 6% decline year-over-year.

Despite the anticipated earnings dip, Delta’s stock has performed well recently. Shares have gained 11% since the start of 2025.

The gains come from steady travel demand. Corporate bookings have also strengthened.

Delta has a track record of beating Wall Street expectations. The airline has exceeded revenue estimates in every quarter over the past two years.

The average beat was 6.4%. Last quarter, Delta topped revenue forecasts by 3.8%, reporting $16.67 billion.

Analyst Upgrades Signal Confidence

Goldman Sachs analyst Catherine O’Brien raised her price target to $77 from $68. She maintained a Buy rating on the stock.

O’Brien kept her Q4 earnings estimate at $1.48 per share. She noted fuel costs align with expectations.

The analyst said investors will focus more on Delta’s 2026 guidance. Goldman projects earnings of $6.60 per share in 2026 and $7.45 in 2027.

O’Brien increased her price target based on travel trends. She believes current demand supports a higher valuation.

Susquehanna analyst Christopher Stathoulopoulos took an even more bullish stance. He raised his price target to $85 from $70.

Stathoulopoulos expects a positive outlook for airlines in fiscal 2026. He sees select carriers benefiting from strong brand loyalty.

Stock Performance and Market Position

Delta’s recent performance has outpaced its sector. The consumer discretionary segment saw average gains of just 3% over the last month.

DAL stock rose 1.7% during the same timeframe. The current share price sits at $72.48.

The average analyst price target stands at $79.32. That implies potential upside of about 9% from current levels.

Last quarter, Delta reported 67.62 billion revenue passenger miles. The metric increased 2% year-over-year.

Peers in the airline industry have shown mixed results. Carnival posted 6.6% revenue growth but missed estimates by 0.6%.

Nike reported flat revenue while beating forecasts by 1.7%. Carnival shares jumped 13.7% after earnings, while Nike fell 10.9%.

Analysts have generally maintained their estimates for Delta over the past 30 days. This suggests expectations for steady business performance.

For the current quarter, analysts project revenue growth of 1.4% year-over-year to $15.78 billion. That would slow from the 9.4% increase recorded in the same quarter last year.

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