Delta Misses Q3 Estimates: EPS $1.72 vs $1.75, Revenue $17.59B vs $17.66B
DAL sits 46% above its 52-week low of $55.03 on light trading volume (0.3× avg).
Summary
Delta reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $1.72, missing the $1.75 consensus, on revenue of $17.59B, also slightly below the $17.66B estimate. Reported EPS was $1.15 with net income of $756M. This follows the earlier guidance cut to $5.10-$5.60 for full-year EPS, driven by a $6B fuel cost surge, which Delta says it can absorb. Analysts have been slashing estimates—13 negative revisions in the last 30 days and an 18.6% drop in the mean estimate over three months—yet the actual results still came in light. The stock has fallen 1.6% this quarter but remains up 18.4% year-to-date. The miss, while modest, confirms the deteriorating cost environment and may pressure the stock further given the recent guidance reduction. Delta's CEO sees no cracks in travel demand, citing a secular shift in consumer behavior, robust premium growth, and improving main cabin trends, and says U.S. airlines are recovering higher fuel costs quicker due to resilient demand and focus on profitability.
At the time of this announcement, DAL was trading at $80.48 on NYSE in the Energy & Transportation sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $52.9B. The 52-week trading range was $55.03 to $95.68. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10. Source: Reuters.