ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. Delta Air Lines's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $-1,156 Mil.
Delta Air Lines's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $82,874 Mil. Therefore, Delta Air Lines's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -1.39%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Delta Air Lines's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
DAL'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -18.14 Med: 6.22 Max: 8.04
Current: 5.58
During the past 13 years, Delta Air Lines's highest ROA % was 8.04%. The lowest was -18.14%. And the median was 6.22%.
DAL's ROA % is ranked better than 67.29% of 1015
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 3.46
vs DAL: 5.58
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) revenue data.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
Delta Air Lines ROA % Related Terms
Delta Air Lines ROA % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Delta Air Lines's ROA % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Airlines subindustry, Delta Air Lines's ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Delta Air Lines ROA % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Delta Air Lines's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Delta Air Lines's ROA % falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) has a ROA % of -1.39% as of Mar. 2026. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Delta Air Lines and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Delta Air Lines ranks #332 out of 1015 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 32.7%.
Is Delta Air Lines' ROA % too high?
Delta Air Lines' current ROA % is -1.39%. Based on the distribution chart, Delta Air Lines ranks #332 out of 1015 companies in the Transportation industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Delta Air Lines has a GF Score™ of 79/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Delta Air Lines' ROA % compare to UAL and LUV?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Delta Air Lines ranks #332 out of 1015 companies for ROA %. This puts Delta Air Lines in the upper half of its industry. The industry median ROA % is 3.46. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROA % for a Transportation company?
The median ROA % among Transportation companies is 3.46, based on 1,015 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Delta Air Lines and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median ROA % is 3.46 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Delta Air Lines's current ROA % is -1.39%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Delta Air Lines stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Delta Air Lines (DAL) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $54.11, compared to a current price of $90.27 — trading 66.8% above its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is -1.39%. Delta Air Lines' overall GF Score™ is 79/100 with 10 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Delta Air Lines (DAL), the current ROA % is -1.39% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Delta Air Lines (DAL) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Delta Air Lines stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $90.27 is trading 66.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $54.11.
GuruFocus considers Delta Air Lines to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for DAL:
ROA %: -1.39%
GF Value™: $54.11 vs. price of $90.27 (66.8% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the DAL stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is one of the world's largest airlines, with a network of over 300 destinations in more than 50 countries. Delta operates a hub-and-spoke network, where it gathers and distributes passengers across the globe through its biggest hubs in Atlanta, New York, Salt Lake City, Detroit, Seattle, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Delta has historically earned most of its international revenue and profits from flying passengers over the Atlantic Ocean.
79GF Score
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