Risk Intelligence
Core Model
C+
66 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Suggestions
DAL · NYSE
DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Private betaIndustrials · Airlines
$79.91
+2.13%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Industrials · Airlines · Data confidence good
49 / 100
Rank #364 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 53% · Not Currently Suggested
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
C−
58 / 100
Ordinary Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
F
37 / 100
Middle
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
B
79 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Above average on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
D+
54 / 100
Reasonable
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
D+
50 / 100
Moderate Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
No weakening evidence is recorded in today's readings.
Long-term view
DELTA AIR LINES, INC. scores 58 on Long-Term Potential (C−), described by the research model as ordinary compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 79 (B): Positive disclosed activity. 6 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 54 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 50 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Moderate Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 4.2% a year and a share count rising about 0.5% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare DAL with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
DELTA AIR LINES, INC. (DAL) scores 49 out of 100 and ranks #364 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 53% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is not currently suggested.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 66 out of 100 (C+), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Around the middle of the covered universe.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 58 out of 100 (C−), recorded as ordinary compounder. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 37 out of 100 (F), recorded as middle. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 79 out of 100 (B), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Above average on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation currently appears reasonable: Valuation Intelligence reads 54 out of 100 (D+), recorded as Reasonable. DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 54 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 50 out of 100 (D+), recorded as Moderate Capital Returns. DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 50 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Moderate Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 4.2% a year and a share count rising about 0.5% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
No weakening factors are recorded in today's stored readings, and data confidence is good. Absence of a recorded weakness is not evidence of safety.
Bottom line
No individual layer reaches the strongest band today. Long-Term Potential and Fundamental Momentum remain the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads reasonable at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
49 / 100
Not Currently Suggested
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #364 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 53%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
214Rank weakened by 214 positions. Rank weakened by 214 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 66
- Long-Term Potential
- 58
- Fundamental Momentum
- 37
- Ownership Intelligence
- 79
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
79 / 100 · Positive · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 75 · Positive
- Institutional Activity
- 89 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is positive.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
No component ranks in the top quartile of the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Fundamental Momentum is softer
Reported business trends rank below the qualified median.
Ownership evidence is not uniformly supportive
The combined disclosed ownership evidence ranks below the qualified median.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 54 · Reasonable
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 50 · Moderate Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 48.9 of the stored score (48.9).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 16.5 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 55 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 66 · 34% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 17.9 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 60 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 58 · 37% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 4.6 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 23 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 37 · 9% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 9.9 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 49 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 79 · 20% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
No research area currently stands in the stronger half of eligible companies.
What deserves attention
- Fundamental Momentum — 23 percentile, adding only 4.6 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 54 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 50 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Moderate Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 4.2% a year and a share count rising about 0.5% a year.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
54/ 100
Reasonable
RESEARCH MODEL
Good coverage
Compared with its history
37
Elevated
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
43
Elevated
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
74
Very Attractive
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
70
Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 54 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Reasonable. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 13.3x · own median 9.2x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
50/ 100
Moderate Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
57
Moderate Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
30
Limited Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
No net share repurchases are recorded in the stored cash-flow statements.
Dilution Control
30
Limited Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
93
Exceptional Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
38
Limited Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
DELTA AIR LINES, INC. reads 50 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Moderate Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 4.2% a year and a share count rising about 0.5% a year.
No measurable cash was returned to shareholders through dividends or net repurchases in the latest stored statements.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #364 | Score 49 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | Not yet suggested | |
| Highest rank | #364 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
As a global airline based in the United States, we connect customers across our expansive global network with a commitment to ensuring that the future of travel is connected, personalized and enjoyable. In 2025, we served over 200 million customers safely, reliably and with industry-leading customer service innovation.
As we celebrated our centennial year in 2025, we continued to differentiate Delta from the industry and to invest in extending our competitive advantages. These enduring competitive advantages, which support our trusted consumer brand, include our people and culture, operational reliability, global network, customer loyalty and financial foundation.
The Delta people and culture are our strongest competitive advantage. Our more than 100,000 employees provide world-class travel experiences for our customers and best-in-class service. We believe that Delta's brand transcends the industry, powered by our people's outstanding work and passion for serving our customers. For 2025, Delta was named No. 15 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list and was ranked No. 2 in the Forbes ranking of the World's Best Employers.
Our industry-leading profit sharing program directly aligns our employees' interests with the company's long-term success and for 2025, we are rewarding them with $1.3 billion in profit sharing payments in February 2026. The company also maintains a Shared Rewards program to incentivize operational performance, and our employees earned $67 million under this program in 2025.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed February 11, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
66
Fundamentally Qualified
+11.8 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
58
Ordinary Compounder
+2.6 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
37
Deteriorating
-12.4 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
75
Upper range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
Only 6 tracked managers disclosed a position — treat as limited coverage.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
DAL score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
DAL intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 65.9 on 2026-09-11, up 11.8 from 54.1 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 58 on 2026-09-11, up 2.6 from 55.4 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 36.6 on 2026-09-11, down 12.4 from 49 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 75 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 75 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 65.9 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+11.8 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 58 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+2.6 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 36.6 as of Sep 11, 2026 (-12.4 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 75 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
DAL price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, through Sep 11, 2026. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- +38.6%
- 1Y change
- +33.6%
- 3Y change
- +108.9%
- 5Y change
- +105.8%
- Max change
- +41.2%
Last stored close $79.91 · +33.6% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
1
New holders
1
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2016-12-31 · Public 12/22/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive weakened
Business Quality qualification score moved from 54.1 to 46.8.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 46.4 to 54.1.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 58 to 75 for the reporting period ending 2026-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 50 to 58 for the reporting period ending 2026-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 70 to 50 for the reporting period ending 2025-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 40 to 70 for the reporting period ending 2025-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 83 to 40 for the reporting period ending 2025-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Tracked managers initiated positions
2 tracked managers first disclosed a position for the reporting period ending 2024-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Tracked managers initiated positions
3 tracked managers first disclosed a position for the reporting period ending 2024-09-30.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.