Delta Air Lines Shares Rally After Earnings Beat And Guidance Raise

Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) jumped more than 4% intra-day on Thursday after the carrier reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results and raised its full-year outlook, citing resilient travel demand and solid execution.

The airline reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.71 for the September quarter, beating analyst expectations of $1.53 by 18 cents. Revenue reached $15.2 billion, topping the consensus forecast of $15.04 billion and marking a 4.1% increase year-over-year.

Delta raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance to approximately $6.00 per share, above analysts’ expectations of $5.77 and toward the upper end of its prior range.

For the December quarter, the company projected operating margins between 10.5% and 12% and adjusted EPS of $1.60 to $1.90, with total revenue growth of 2% to 4% compared to last year’s record results.

Delta reaffirmed its full-year free cash flow target of $3.5 billion to $4 billion, consistent with its long-term goals. The airline also noted it had reduced debt by nearly $2 billion year-to-date, bringing its gross leverage ratio down to 2.4x by the end of the quarter.