Risk Analysis: Is Delta Air Lines, Inc. a Value Trap or Safe to Buy?
NYQ · Industrials · Airlines
Is Delta Air Lines, Inc. a safe investment right now?
Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s Altman Z-Score of 1.3 places it in the distress zone. Our DCF model estimates intrinsic value at $112.79, suggesting the stock may be undervalued by 37%. Moat rating: 2.3/5 stars.
Could Delta Air Lines, Inc. go bankrupt? Altman Z-Score analysis
Z-Score of 1.3 falls below the 1.8 distress threshold, indicating significant financial stress.
- Below 1.8 — Distress Zone (high bankruptcy risk)
- 1.8 to 3.0 — Gray Zone (elevated uncertainty)
- Above 3.0 — Safe Zone (financially healthy)
What drives DAL's Z-Score?
| Component | Formula | Value | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · Working Capital / Total Assets | WC / TA | -0.2285 | 1.2 | -0.27 |
| B · Retained Earnings / Total Assets | RE / TA | 0.1193 | 1.4 | 0.17 |
| C · EBIT / Total Assets | EBIT / TA | 0.075 | 3.3 | 0.25 |
| D · Market Cap / Total Liabilities | MCap / TL | 0.6207 | 0.6 | 0.37 |
| E · Revenue / Total Assets | Rev / TA | 0.7882 | 1.0 | 0.79 |
How has DAL's financial health changed over time?
| Year | Z-Score | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.62 | Distress |
| 2017 | 1.06 | Distress |
| 2018 | 1.69 | Distress |
| 2019 | 1.59 | Distress |
| 2020 | 1.51 | Distress |
| 2021 | 1.47 | Distress |
| 2022 | -0.03 | Distress |
| 2023 | 0.7 | Distress |
| 2024 | 1.09 | Distress |
| 2025 | 1.3 | Distress |
Source: Calculated from DAL's latest 10-K filing on SEC EDGAR.
What is Delta Air Lines, Inc. actually worth?
Fair value range: $64.96 — $196.39
Valuation Methods
| Method | Fair Value | Weight | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historical PE × Forward EPS | $64.96 | 50% | 8.1x avg PE (4 years) × $8.02 forward EPS |
| DCF (Discounted Cash Flow) | $196.39 | 30% | Two-stage DCF: $3.1B TTM FCF, 19.9% growth, 9.1% WACC |
| EV/FCF Multiple | $106.95 | 20% | TTM FCF × 28x multiple + net cash |
Assumptions & Data Sources
| Parameter | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FCF Growth Rate (Stage 1) | 19.9% | 70% analyst consensus + 30% historical |
| Analyst EPS Growth (This Year) | -5.0% | Consensus (25 analysts) |
| Analyst EPS Growth (Next Year) | 61.6% | Consensus |
| Historical 5Y FCF CAGR | 0.2% | SEC EDGAR |
| Terminal Growth Rate | 2.5% | Long-term GDP proxy |
| Discount Rate (WACC) | 9.1% | CAPM (Rf=4.3% + 1.31*5.5%) |
| Net Cash / (Debt) | $-16,346M | Balance sheet |
| Base FCF (TTM) | $3.1B | Trailing 12 months |
| Shares Outstanding | 656,994,112 | Latest |
Sensitivity Analysis
| Growth Rate | 8% WACC | 10% WACC | 9.1% WACC | 13% WACC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $75.79 | $56.01 | $63.44 | $40.42 |
| 2.5% | $87.75 | $64.35 | $73.12 | $45.96 |
| 5.0% | $101.46 | $73.87 | $84.21 | $52.27 |
| 7.5% | $120.17 | $86.66 | $99.20 | $60.54 |
Free Cash Flow History
| Year | FCF | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $2.7B | — |
| 2017 | $5.0B | +84.7% |
| 2018 | $3.8B | +-23.2% |
| 2019 | $1.1B | +-70.4% |
| 2020 | $1.8B | +63.1% |
| 2021 | $3.5B | +89.0% |
| 2022 | $−5.7B | N/A |
| 2023 | $0.0B | N/A |
| 2024 | $−0.0B | N/A |
| 2025 | $1.1B | N/A |
Source: FCF data from SEC EDGAR filings. Price via Yahoo Finance.
Does Delta Air Lines, Inc. have a durable competitive advantage?
Moat rating: 2.3/5.
What makes up DAL's moat score?
ROIC Stability
ROIC variability over the past decade. Score: 2/5.
Gross Margin Trend
Gross margin trajectory over the past decade. Score: 3/5.
Switching Costs
Estimated customer lock-in based on margin level. Score: 2/5.
How stable is DAL's return on invested capital?
| Year | ROIC | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6.0% | — |
| 2017 | 20.6% | Rising |
| 2018 | 21.3% | Stable |
| 2019 | 17.0% | Declining |
| 2020 | 13.1% | Declining |
| 2021 | 13.6% | Stable |
| 2022 | -24.4% | Declining |
| 2023 | 4.0% | Rising |
| 2024 | 8.0% | Rising |
| 2025 | 11.8% | Rising |
Source: ROIC calculated from SEC EDGAR filings.
Is Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s dividend safe?
Can Delta Air Lines, Inc. afford its dividend?
Payout ratio is 10.4%. FCF covers the dividend 0.0x. 12 consecutive years of payments.
Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s key financial metrics
| Metric | Latest | 1Y Ago | 3Y Ago | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $58.0B | $50.6B | $17.1B | Rising |
| Net Income | $4.6B | $1.3B | −$12.4B | Rising |
| Free Cash Flow | $1.1B | −$0.0B | −$5.7B | Rising |
Common questions about Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Is Delta Air Lines, Inc. at risk of going bankrupt?
Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s Altman Z-Score of 1.3 places it in the distress zone. This metric uses balance sheet ratios to predict bankruptcy probability within 2 years. A score below 1.8 signals distress, while above 3.0 indicates safety.
What is Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s intrinsic value based on DCF?
Our DCF model estimates Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s intrinsic value at $112.79 per share. The current margin of safety is 36.9%. This estimate is based on historical free cash flow trends and a risk-adjusted discount rate.
Does Delta Air Lines, Inc. have a competitive moat?
Delta Air Lines, Inc. receives a moat rating of 2.3 out of 5 stars, based on ROIC stability, gross margin trends, and estimated switching costs. A rating above 3.5 suggests a durable competitive advantage.
Is Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s dividend safe?
Our dividend safety analysis examines payout ratio, free cash flow coverage, and the company's streak of consecutive dividend payments to determine whether the current payout is sustainable.
FairValueLabs Disclaimer
All valuations, scores, ratings, and classifications on this page are produced by the FairValueLabs internal valuation system. They do not represent actual market value, guaranteed outcomes, or professional investment advice. These are analytical estimates for educational and research purposes only.
This is not financial advice. All data is sourced from SEC EDGAR public filings. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Last updated: Apr 20, 2026. Data sources: SEC EDGAR (financial statements), Yahoo Finance (market data, analyst consensus). Data may not reflect the most recent quarter.
DAL analysis methodology: How we calculate fair value, Z-Scores, and moat ratings