For the quarter ended September 2025, Delta Air Lines (DAL Quick QuoteDAL - Free Report) reported revenue of $16.67 billion, up 6.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.71, compared to $1.50 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +5.61% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.79 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.52, the EPS surprise was +12.5%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

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:

• Passenger Load Factor: 86% versus 85.9% estimated by five analysts on average.
• Revenue passenger miles - Consolidated: 67.62 billion compared to the 67.92 billion average estimate based on four analysts.
• Cost per Available Seat Mile (CASM) - Ex: 13.35 cents versus 13.31 cents estimated by four analysts on average.
• Adjusted- Average fuel price per gallon: $2.25 versus $2.35 estimated by four analysts on average.
• Available seat miles - Consolidated: 79.05 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 79.12 billion.
• Adjusted - Total unit revenues - TRASM: 19.22 cents versus the four-analyst average estimate of 19.01 cents.
• Passenger Revenue Per Available Seat Mile: 17.08 cents versus the four-analyst average estimate of 17.13 cents.
• Total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM): 21.09 cents versus 19.96 cents estimated by three analysts on average.
• Passenger Mile Yield: 19.97 cents compared to the 19.76 cents average estimate based on three analysts.
• Operating Revenues- Passenger: $13.51 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $13.56 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3%.
• Operating Revenues- Cargo: $233 million versus $199.28 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +18.9% change.
• Operating Revenues- Other: $2.93 billion compared to the $2.41 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +23.6% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Delta here>>>

Shares of Delta have returned -7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4% 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.