Delta Air Lines Shares Rally After Earnings Beat And Guidance Raise

Core Insights - Delta Air Lines reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results, with adjusted earnings per share of $1.71, exceeding analyst expectations of $1.53 by 18 cents, and revenue of $15.2 billion, surpassing the consensus forecast of $15.04 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 4.1% [1] - The company raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance to approximately $6.00 per share, above analysts' expectations of $5.77, and projected operating margins for the December quarter between 10.5% and 12% [2] - Delta reaffirmed its full-year free cash flow target of $3.5 billion to $4 billion and noted a reduction in debt by nearly $2 billion year-to-date, resulting in a gross leverage ratio of 2.4x by the end of the quarter [3]