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Delta (DAL) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

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For the quarter ended March 2023, Delta Air Lines (DAL - Free Report) reported revenue of $12.76 billion, up 36.5% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.25, compared to -$1.23 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.07% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $12.77 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.29, the EPS surprise was -13.79%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Delta performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Operating Cost Per Available Seat Mile: 21.25 cents compared to the 19.26 cents average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Passenger Revenue Per Available Seat Mile: 16.97 cents compared to the 17.16 cents average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM): 20.8 cents versus 20.37 cents estimated by four analysts on average.
  • Cost per Available Seat Mile (CASM) - Ex: 13.86 cents compared to the 13.75 cents average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Adjusted - Total unit revenues - TRASM: 19.3 cents compared to the 19.5 cents average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Average price per fuel gallon, net of hedging gains: $3.01 compared to the $3.17 average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Available seat miles - Consolidated: 61351 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of 61725.09 million.
  • Passenger Mile Yield: 20.95 cents compared to the 20.06 cents average estimate based on three analysts.
  • Passenger Load Factor: 81% compared to the 84.53% average estimate based on three analysts.
  • Operating Revenues- Other net: $2.14 billion versus $1.94 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -0.6% change.
  • Operating Revenues- Cargo: $209 million compared to the $286.90 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -27.7% year over year.
  • Operating Revenues- Passenger: $10.41 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $10.60 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +50.7%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Delta here>>>

Shares of Delta have returned +1.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +6.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.


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