Delta Stock Soars After Q3 Guidance Tops Wall Street Targets

July 10 - Delta Air Lines DAL shares surged more than 13% in Thursday premarket trading after the carrier reinstated its 2025 adjusted earnings outlook.

The airline now expects full?year adjusted EPS of $5.25 to $6.25, down from a January forecast above $7.35, following an April pause in guidance amid softer demand.

CEO Ed Bastian said bookings have stabilized, but noted that travelers are holding off on plans until closer to departure dates, prompting capacity adjustments outside peak periods.

For the third quarter, Delta projects adjusted EPS of $1.25 to $1.75 and revenue flat to up 4%, versus analysts' forecasts of $1.31 and a 1.4% sales increase.

In the June quarter, Delta posted adjusted revenue of $15.51 billion, up 1% year?on?year, and adjusted net income of $1.37 billion, or $2.10 a share, compared with $1.25 billion, or $2.05, a year earlier.

Premium cabin sales climbed 5% as main cabin revenue fell 5%, while the American Express partnership contributed $2 billion, a 10% rise.

Investors will watch whether Delta can sustain momentum through the summer peak and manage capacity surgically after mid?August.