On Tuesday, Evercore ISI adjusted its stock price target for Delta Air Lines (NYSE: NYSE:DAL), increasing it to $65 from $60, while maintaining an Outperform rating on the airline's shares. The revision comes as the firm anticipates a slight uptick in Delta's financial estimates before its second-quarter earnings report, which is expected on July 11th.
The company has demonstrated strong operational reliability in the second quarter, which has positively influenced capacity and unit costs.
Delta Air Lines has been navigating through a period where industry capacity was notably high in June and July. However, the company has managed to post robust operational performance during this time. Moreover, Delta has benefited from lower fuel costs than initially projected, even after accounting for a reduced refinery benefit.
The third-quarter earnings expectations for Delta Air Lines are deemed reasonable by Evercore ISI. The firm also highlights that Delta's corporate revenue recovery in the previous year was negatively affected by strikes in the auto industry in Detroit and the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. These incidents had an impact on the airline's performance in the fourth quarter of last year.
Looking forward, Evercore ISI has projected an improvement in the airline industry's structure by fall. This outlook is backed by the anticipation of continued structural enhancements within the sector.
Furthermore, Evercore ISI has revised its fiscal year 2024 and 2025 earnings estimates for Delta Air Lines to $6.75 and $7.35 per share, respectively, up from the previous estimates of $6.65 and $7.25 per share. The firm's revised price target of $65 reflects these updated estimates and the positive industry outlook.
In other recent news, the U.S. Treasury Department has collected $556.7 million from the auction of warrants in 11 major U.S. airlines. These warrants were initially issued as part of the government's COVID-19 relief efforts for the airline sector. American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) received the largest amount of government assistance, totaling $12.6 billion, followed by Delta Air Lines with $11.9 billion, United Airlines with $10.9 billion, and Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) with $7.2 billion.
In other developments, Delta Air Lines shareholders recently re-elected all twelve director nominees and approved the advisory vote on executive compensation during their Annual Meeting. The company's Q1 2024 earnings per share surpassed estimates, coming in at $0.45, and a 5-7% year-over-year revenue increase is expected in Q2.
Moreover, Delta has been favorably received by Wall Street with several financial institutions, including HSBC Global Research, Argus Research, Evercore ISI, Barclays, Susquehanna Financial Group, and UBS Securities, initiating or maintaining buy and overweight ratings on the stock. Delta's diversified revenue streams, including its loyalty program and partnership with American Express (NYSE:AXP), are expected to underpin future earnings.
Yet, the airline industry is not without its challenges. Delta, along with other major U.S. airlines, is urging the government to address a chronic shortage of air traffic controllers as the summer travel season approaches. These recent developments highlight the dynamic nature of the airline industry and the various factors impacting Delta's operations and strategic decisions.
InvestingPro Insights
According to recent data from InvestingPro, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) boasts a strong market position with a market capitalization of $31.98 billion. The airline's current P/E ratio stands at a competitive 6.32, indicating that it is trading at a lower earnings multiple compared to some of its industry peers. This is further supported by an adjusted P/E ratio over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024 at 7.37, reflecting a favorable valuation in the market.
InvestingPro Tips highlight Delta Air Lines as a prominent player in the Passenger Airlines industry, with a high shareholder yield and a prediction by analysts that the company will maintain profitability this year. It is also worth noting that Delta has been profitable over the last twelve months. However, potential investors should be aware that the company's short-term obligations currently exceed its liquid assets, which could present liquidity concerns.
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