DAL
- Trade priority
- #13 · 69.2
- Data coverage
- 100%
- Setup
- pre breakout · 2026-10-02
- News
- positive w/ risks
- Next catalyst
- Earnings in 4 sessions
Trade plan
- Action
- WAITblocked: earnings window
- Trigger
- 85.05break above resistance · 1.1% / 0.41 ATR away
- Entry zone
- 85.05–86.23reference 85.05
- Initial stop
- 82.582.9% · risk 2.47/sh
- Target 1
- 92.00+8.2% · R:R 2.81 (strong)
- Target 2
- 96.71+13.7% · R:R 4.72
- Risk per share
- 2.47strategy-owned; the portfolio panel sizes it per profile
- Invalidation
- 82.58a close below 1 ATR under the level invalidates the setup before entry
Level 84.94 (PRE_BREAKOUT_V1 selected resistance); ATR14 2.36 on 2026-10-02. Stop: 1 ATR below the breakout level 84.94. Targets: ATR projections 3 / 5 ATR above the level. R:R quality strong to T1 (hard minimum 2.0; 3R would be 92.46, T2 supports 4.72R). Targets are structural and are never moved to reach an R multiple.
Record the fill after you enter: add position. The strategy then manages the stop, targets and the next action.
Your portfolio · San
- Profile
- Sanequity 2,000.00 USD · whole shares
- Current holding
- noneno open position in this profile
- Recommended quantity
- 4 sh340.20 · 17.0% of portfolio · bound by risk budget
- Risk budget
- 10.000.5% of 2,000.00 · planned risk 9.88
- Portfolio risk
- 0.00 openremaining 40.00 → 30.12 after
- Exposure
- 0 / 3 positionsIndustrials: 0 / 2 · 0.00 of 1,000.00 cap
- Cash impact
- 2,000.00 → 1,659.80derived from the ledger
- Eligibility
- WAITsame as the strategy view
Entry, stop, targets and R:R are strategy-owned and identical for every profile; only this portfolio's quantity, risk, exposure and cash differ. Manage profiles · record a fill
Quality gates
| Gate | Verdict | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Data freshness | PASS | 0 completed session(s) behind the calendar |
| Price | PASS | close 84.09 at or above the 10 floor |
| Market cap | PASS | market cap 55.33B (finnhub, 2026-10-02) |
| Liquidity | PASS | ADV20 599.7M (STRONG_LIQUIDITY) |
| Sector | PASS | sector Industrials (finnhub_industry) |
| Regime | PASS | regime RISK_ON |
| Earnings | FAIL | earnings in 4 session(s) (2026-10-09) · earnings window |
| News / event risk | PASS | news context POSITIVE_WITH_RISKS |
| Chase protection | PASS | 0.65 ATR above EMA20, session move -0.02 ATR |
| R:R | PASS | reward/risk 2.81 to target 1 (strong), 4.72 to target 2 |
| Portfolio capacity | PASS | 4 shares (340), bound by risk budget |
| Data quality | PASS | current session data, valid technical snapshot, trigger and ATR; critical facts known |
Primary blocker: earnings window
Why this action
Technical
- 1.1% below the trigger 85.05 (resistance 84.94)
- RS20 positive vs SPY and QQQ (+7.2% / +2.3%)
- EMA20 extension 0.65 ATR
- RSI14 55.0 inside the 50-70 band
- stop 82.58: 1 ATR below the breakout level 84.94
- RS20 vs SPY 7.2%, vs QQQ 2.3%
Options
- volume 0.81× the 20D baseline (neither) · selected contracts only, delayed
News and events
- news context positive w/ risks (52 canonical items in window)
- earnings 2026-10-09 (4 sessions, finnhub); event risk medium
- earnings · high · positive: Earnings Volatility Watch: A Gold Miner Is Priced to Swing the Most This Week
- other · low · negative: Boeing Avoids Strike As Musk Takes Aim At Delta, Tesla Delays Roadster Reveal and Ford Sal
- earnings · medium · negative: TD Cowen Cuts Alaska Air, Delta And United Price Targets Ahead Of Q3 Earnings
- other · low · unknown: Frank Talk: Berkshire’s Delta bet shows why quality matters in airline stocks
Market and risk
- regime RISK ON: SPY: trend UP, volatility NORMAL; QQQ: trend UP, volatility NORMAL
- gate earnings window blocks a new entry
- news context positive with risks
Chart
Indicator history is derived from the stored bars with the accepted M3 functions (WORKSTATION_SERIES_V1); the scanner’s persisted values remain authoritative. Reconciliation at the scan session: 8 match.
Trade priority
Rank #13 · priority 69.2 / 100 · coverage 100%
- technical readiness25/30
- structure quality6/10
- relative strength14/15
- participation4/10
- risk reward11/15
- news context6/10
- event risk2/5
- urgency1/5
operational attention priority not a return forecast. Missing inputs lower coverage, never the score.
Setup evidence · PRE_BREAKOUT_V1
- Setup state
- PRE_BREAKOUT
- Resistance
- 84.94
- Distance
- 0.99%
- Close
- 84.09
- SMA50
- 84.08
- SMA150 / SMA200
- 77.77 / 75.8
- RSI14
- 55
- EMA20 extension
- 0.65 ATR
- RS20 vs SPY
- +7.2%
- RS20 vs QQQ
- +2.3%
Hard requirements · 8/8 passed
- PASSConfirmed resistanceresistance=84.935 exists eligible=true
- PASSDistance to resistancedistance_pct=0.9949 · resistance=84.935 · close=84.09 inclusive_between min=0 · max=3
- PASSClose above SMA50close=84.09 · sma50=84.0842 > right_operand=sma50
- PASSSMA150 ≥ SMA200sma150=77.7697 · sma200=75.799 >= right_operand=sma200
- PASSRSI14 bandrsi14=54.9829 inclusive_between min=50 · max=70
- PASSEMA20 extension (ATR)extension_atr=0.651 · close=84.09 · ema20=82.5566 · atr14=2.3556 <= max=1.5
- PASSRS20 vs SPY or QQQSPY=0.0724 · QQQ=0.0233 OR > SPY=0 · QQQ=0
- PASSResistance qualitydistinct_touches=2 policy_and_minimum_touches min=2
Supporting evidence · 4/6 passed
- PASSATR compressioncurrent_atr_pct=0.028 · median_previous_60_atr_pct=0.0296 · ratio=0.9472 < right_operand=median_previous_60_atr_pct
- FAILVolume contractionrecent_volume=6,869,383.259 · baseline_volume=6,942,408.1305 · ratio=0.9895 < max=0.85
- FAILHigher lowslow_1=77.15 · low_2=76.89 · low_3=80.71 low_3 > low_2 > low_1 required_pivots=3
- PASSFull MA alignmentsma50=84.0842 · sma150=77.7697 · sma200=75.799 sma50 > sma150 > sma200
- PASSRS20 vs SPY positiveSPY=0.0724 > min=0
- PASSRS20 vs QQQ positiveQQQ=0.0233 > min=0
PRE_BREAKOUT_V1 · scan run 412 · session 2026-10-02 · evaluated as of 2026-10-04T13:22:43.415154Z. Supporting evidence never changes the trigger; UNKNOWN is never collapsed into false.
Intelligence timeline
- 2026-10-0410:00 UTCBoeing dodged a strike as Musk criticized Delta, Tesla delayed its Roadster reveal and Ford sales fell — This Week in Mobility.
- 2026-10-0408:30 UTCMicron's blowout is done. Novagold, Applied Digital, Levi Strauss, Delta, Constellation Brands and PepsiCo carry the week's top implied earnings moves.
- 2026-10-0218:11 UTCFuel costs remain a key watchpoint for airlines as TD Cowen assesses the sector's 2027 earnings and free-cash-flow outlook.
- 2026-10-0215:11 UTCWarren Buffett once said airlines were a "death trap" for capital, yet Berkshire Hathaway has now returned to the sector in the middle of a fuel shock. In this op ed, Frank Holmes, CEO of U.S. Global Investors (NASDAQ:GROW), explains why he sees Berkshire's $5.4 billion Delta Air Lines position...
- 2026-10-0214:30 UTCSpace Exploration Technologies Corp. CEO Elon Musk criticized Delta Air Lines Inc. CEO Ed Bastian, warning that the latter could lose his job for not choosing Starlink. ‘We Do Not Want to Be With Elon Musk’ On Tuesday, a post...
- 2026-10-0213:00 UTCDelta (DAL) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.
- 2026-10-0212:12 UTCTravelers with elite status on either rival carrier will receive matched United status for 90 days, with spending requirements to make it permanent
- 2026-10-0212:00 UTCDespite accelerating revenue growth, Delta stock is struggling to reclaim its 50-day line ahead of its Q3 earnings report.
- 2026-10-0210:43 UTCAlaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) is expanding its international operations from Seattle as it seeks a larger share of premium and long-haul travel, increasing its direct competition with Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) at its home airport. The airline plans to increase its intercontinental destinations from Seattle to at least 15 by 2030 and become the city’s largest international carrier.
- 2026-10-0210:41 UTCDelta Air Lines remains a buy, with a revised price target of $103.26, reflecting a 23% upside despite macro and fuel cost risks. Read more on DAL here.
- 2026-10-0210:05 UTCTD Cowen analyst Tom Fitzgerald maintains Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) with a Buy and lowers the price target from $105 to $101.
- 2026-10-0208:56 UTCElon Musk publicly predicted Delta's CEO will lose his job over a Wi-Fi decision, and now United and American are spending real money to make that happen by poaching the elite flyers who fuel Delta's most profitable revenue streams.
- 2026-10-0207:25 UTCDAL Stock In Focus: Musk-Bastian Feud Over Starlink Escalates As United, American Court Delta FlyersElon Musk and CEO Ed Bastian clash over Starlink, while rivals promote faster Wi-Fi and court Delta’s frequent flyers.
- 2026-10-0203:21 UTCAirlines have traditionally been difficult investments. Fuel prices can swing margins overnight, capacity can erode pricing power, and even strong demand doesn’t guarantee strong returns. But the current environment is pushing investors to view U.S. airlines differently. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) are both trying to build more resilient […]
- 2026-10-0202:03 UTCMusk just made two moves that could have bigger implications for investors than they first appear.
- 2026-10-0116:04 UTCCambiar Opportunity Fund, managed by Cambiar Investors, published its Q2 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. U.S. equity markets experienced a significant rebound in Q2, with the S&P 500 rising 15.2% and the Russell 2000 up 21.5%. Growth stocks outperformed value, although value retained a year-to-date lead. The market’s rise was fueled […]
- 2026-10-0112:30 UTCBased on the average brokerage recommendation (ABR), Delta (DAL) should be added to one's portfolio. Wall Street analysts' overly optimistic recommendations cast doubt on the effectiveness of this highly sought-after metric. So, is the stock worth buying?
- 2026-10-0108:28 UTCElon Musk and CEO Ed Bastian clash over Starlink, while Delta’s Amazon Leo choice raises concerns about falling behind rivals on in-flight WiFi.
- 2026-10-0107:08 UTCDelta Air Lines has had a powerful run in recent years, and the share price now asks a clear question about how its earnings stack up against that move. With the stock back in focus after fresh news and a long stretch of gains, the issue is whether today’s valuation still lines up with what the airline is actually earning. Over the past 3 years, Delta stock has returned 139.3%, which puts real wei
- 2026-09-3020:37 UTCKey TakeawaysElon Musk said Delta “will lose a lot of customers” after a post noted that United has Starlink on more than 600 planes, about 36% of its fleet, and Delta has none. In-flight Starlink is becoming a competitive weapon between airlines, and that gives SpaceX leverage to sign up the rest of the industry.
- 2026-09-3020:09 UTCDelta Air Lines (DAL) just affirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.2150 per share, payable on November 5, 2026. This maintains income returns for shareholders as the stock trades near recent highs. Recent trading has been mixed for Delta Air Lines, with a 1-day share price return of 1.00% and a 30-day share price return of 5.99% offset by a 90-day share price decline of 8.80% as the stock changes hand
- 2026-09-3019:03 UTCThree major airlines faced the same turbulent September, but one carrier broke sharply from the pack while another sank deeper into trouble. The gap between winner and loser tells a story about which airline model investors actually trust right now.
- 2026-09-3016:19 UTCElon Musk and Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian are reportedly feuding over a topic near and dear to frequent flyer hearts: in-flight Wi-Fi (or lack thereof).
- 2026-09-3016:15 UTCCooling inflation, lower rate fears and still solid spending have created an unusual mix. Cash is earning more, yet consumers are still opening their wallets. That tension can reward investors who select stocks exposed to this news thoughtfully and avoid those that look stretched. This article examines three stocks from the U.S. Consumer Discretionary and Travel Stocks Levered to Strong Spending a
- 2026-09-3014:56 UTCThe spat between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian is escalating. Delta passed on Starlink in the spring, opting for Amazon.com’s space-based broadband product, called Amazon Leo. Delta now uses T-Mobile, with the help of Viasat, and will roll out Leo in 2028.
- 2026-09-3013:10 UTCDelta Air Lines’ board recently affirmed a quarterly dividend of US$0.2150 per share, payable on November 5, 2026, to shareholders of record as of October 15, 2026, while investors await its October 9 earnings report and monitor expanding transatlantic routes. Beyond the dividend, Delta’s push into additional European destinations and its premium-focused network underlines how the airline is leani
- 2026-09-3013:10 UTCIn a post on X this week, SpaceX (SPCX) founder and CEO Elon Musk took aim at Delta Air Lines (DAL) for not using Starlink to offer internet access on its flights. The 8:30 Hosts Julie Hyman, Pras Subramanian, and Jake Conley break down the story.
- 2026-09-3013:00 UTCGeorgia agriculture and forestry producers and the business community have teamed up to create the Georgia Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition, a new partnership focused on positioning the state as a national leader in sustainable aviation fuel research and production. Founding organizations include the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Forestry Association, and Delta Air L
- 2026-09-3005:53 UTCMusk mocks Delta’s poor in-flight Wi-Fi after it chose Amazon Leo over Starlink, as airlines compete for satellite connectivity.
- 2026-09-3001:34 UTCElon Musk warned Delta CEO Ed Bastian could lose his job after rejecting Starlink, doubling down on his earlier criticism of the airline.
- 2026-09-3001:30 UTCSpace Exploration Technologies Corp. CEO Elon Musk warned that Delta Air Lines Inc. could lose business by not offering Starlink internet on its flights. Starlink Snub By Delta? In a post on X on Monday, user John LeFevre said that...
- 2026-09-2920:45 UTCDelta Air Lines (DAL) closed the most recent trading day at $84.88, moving +1.01% from the previous trading session.
- 2026-09-2911:45 UTCDelta Air Lines is scheduled to report its thir-quarter results next month, and analysts are forecasting a double-digit jump in profits, signaling continued momentum in its earnings performance.
- 2026-09-2907:53 UTCBerkshireâs $5.4B Delta stake signals airline confidence. Airline valuations remain modest at 9â11x forward earnings. See here for more details.
- 2026-09-2906:36 UTCDelta faces scrutiny over its in-flight WiFi strategy after Elon Musk warned it could lose customers.
- 2026-09-2820:50 UTCIn the closing of the recent trading day, Delta Air Lines (DAL) stood at $84.03, denoting a -1.07% move from the preceding trading day.
- 2026-09-2812:20 UTCBMO Capital analyst Michael Goldie maintains Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) with a Outperform and lowers the price target from $105 to $100.
- 2026-09-2517:00 UTCDelta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) has outperformed the market over the past 15 years by 4.64% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 18.51%. Currently, Delta Air Lines has a market capitalization of
- 2026-09-2515:48 UTCDelta Air Lines shares are trading higher Friday alongside the broader aviation sector as easing Middle East tensions push fuel prices lower.
- 2026-08-2816:30 UTC
- hidden13 provider-tagged items never name the company and are kept as context only.
canonical items of the last 10 sessions; analyst/industry/macro commentary and social sources excluded from the direction tally; gating uses tier 1-3 HIGH items within 3 (negative) / 2 (unknown direction) sessions
Catalysts and filings
| Event | Date | In | Materiality | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings (before the open) | 2026-10-09 | 4 sessions | high | finnhub · Tier 3 · provider |
Options activity
- Session volume
- 5,278
- 5D baseline
- 8,142
- 20D baseline
- 6,514
- Volume / 20D
- 0.81x
- Call / put volume
- 3,487 / 1,791
- Call / put ratio
- 1.95
- Top-3 contract share
- 31%
- Top expiration
- 2026-10-09 61%
Activity trend · last 26 sessions
| Session | Volume | 5D | 20D | / 20D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-28 | 5,748 | 6,645 | 5,744 | 1.00x |
| 2026-09-29 | 1,953 | 6,271 | 6,000 | 0.33x |
| 2026-09-30 | 2,436 | 5,115 | 6,076 | 0.40x |
| 2026-10-01 | 17.6K | 5,221 | 5,675 | 3.10x |
| 2026-10-02 | 5,278 | 8,142 | 6,514 | 0.81x |
Call vs put volume
Expiration concentration
Contract concentration
Top contracts · session 2026-10-02
| Contract | Type | Strike | Expiration | DTE | Volume | 5D avg | 20D avg | / 20D | Return | Moneyness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O:DAL261009C00084000 | CALL | 84 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 690 | 163 | insufficient history | insufficient history | -30.7% | ATM (0.1%) |
| O:DAL261016C00084000 | CALL | 84 | 2026-10-16 | 14 | 487 | 153 | insufficient history | insufficient history | -2.9% | ATM (0.1%) |
| O:DAL261009C00085000 | CALL | 85 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 471 | 182 | 162 | 2.90x | -33.3% | OTM (-1.1%) |
| O:DAL261016C00085000 | CALL | 85 | 2026-10-16 | 14 | 374 | 3,086 | 1,305 | 0.29x | -28.2% | OTM (-1.1%) |
| O:DAL261009C00087000 | CALL | 87 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 363 | 1,609 | 414 | 0.88x | -30.1% | OTM (-3.3%) |
| O:DAL261009C00086000 | CALL | 86 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 345 | 1,305 | 344 | 1.00x | -20.0% | OTM (-2.2%) |
| O:DAL261016P00085000 | PUT | 85 | 2026-10-16 | 14 | 326 | 25 | 23 | 14.30x | 13.2% | ITM (-1.1%) |
| O:DAL261016P00082000 | PUT | 82 | 2026-10-16 | 14 | 276 | 63 | insufficient history | insufficient history | 7.3% | OTM (2.5%) |
| O:DAL261009P00080000 | PUT | 80 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 251 | 74 | insufficient history | insufficient history | 2.9% | OTM (5.1%) |
| O:DAL261009P00084000 | PUT | 84 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 249 | 48 | insufficient history | insufficient history | -3.6% | ATM (0.1%) |
| O:DAL261016C00087500 | CALL | 87.5 | 2026-10-16 | 14 | 197 | 535 | 3,199 | 0.06x | -33.7% | OTM (-3.9%) |
| O:DAL261009P00083000 | PUT | 83 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 191 | 88 | insufficient history | insufficient history | -12.3% | OTM (1.3%) |
| O:DAL261009P00082000 | PUT | 82 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 190 | 43 | insufficient history | insufficient history | 4.1% | OTM (2.5%) |
| O:DAL261016P00083000 | PUT | 83 | 2026-10-16 | 14 | 111 | 40 | insufficient history | insufficient history | 67.3% | OTM (1.3%) |
| O:DAL261009C00088000 | CALL | 88 | 2026-10-09 | 7 | 110 | 48 | insufficient history | insufficient history | -39.3% | OTM (-4.4%) |
OPTIONS_SELECTION_M9_V1 selected contracts only · provider capability DELAYED · delayed · Top 15 selected contracts by session volume; 5D/20D averages use strictly prior sessions (M10), INSUFFICIENT_HISTORY is shown, never zero.
M13 observations for this session
- Technical setup present (PRE_BREAKOUT_V1): TRUE
- Technical and options context share a session: TRUE
- Activity above its own 20-session baseline: FALSE
- Activity below its own 20-session baseline: FALSE
- Recent 5-session baseline above 20-session baseline: FALSE
- Recent 5-session baseline below 20-session baseline: FALSE
- Volume concentrated in top 3 contracts: FALSE
- Volume concentrated in one expiration: TRUE
- Calls carry most session volume: TRUE
- Puts carry most session volume: FALSE
- Call and put volume roughly balanced: FALSE
- Enrichment data (snapshot/OI/IV/Greeks) available: FALSE
- Enrichment data unavailable: TRUE
- Real flow data unavailable: TRUE
- Flow events present in replay window: NOT_EVALUABLE
Flow
Flow engine is ready. Trades and Quotes are not available with the current provider capabilities; this area populates automatically from the same M11 engine when real persisted facts exist. Synthetic fixture flow is never shown.
Evidence alerts
| Category | Alert | Previous | Current | Sessions | Workflow | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fading | Options activity vs 20D baseline fell | 3.1 | 0.81 | 2026-10-01 → 2026-10-02 | New | |
| Changed | Call / put volume mix changed | 0.95 | 0.66 | 2026-10-01 → 2026-10-02 | New |
Decision trace
- setup_eligiblePASSPRE_BREAKOUT_V1 on 2026-10-02: all 8 hard conditions passresistance=84.935 · close=84.09 · distance_pct=0.9948784364514027
- trigger_statePASSNOT_TRIGGERED; trigger 85.05 is 0.41 ATR above the close (within 1 ATR)trigger_price=85.05 · distance_to_trigger_atr=0.41 | threshold near_trigger_atr=1
- data_freshnessPASS0 completed session(s) behind the calendarsessions_behind=0 | threshold max_sessions_behind=1
- price_gatePASSclose 84.09 at or above the 10 floorclose=84.09 | threshold min_price=10
- market_cap_gatePASSmarket cap 55.33B (finnhub, 2026-10-02)market_cap_usd=55325821191.68 | threshold min_market_cap_usd=1000000000
- liquidity_gatePASSADV20 599.7M (STRONG_LIQUIDITY)adv_dollar=599734649.54 · strong_liquidity=true | threshold min_adv_dollar=25000000, strong_adv_dollar=50000000
- sector_gatePASSsector Industrials (finnhub_industry)
- market_regime_gatePASSregime RISK_ONregime=RISK_ON · risk_multiplier=1
- event_risk_gateFAILearnings in 4 session(s) (2026-10-09)earnings_sessions_away=4 | threshold earnings_block_sessions=5
- news_gatePASSnews context POSITIVE_WITH_RISKS
- chase_gatePASS0.65 ATR above EMA20, session move -0.02 ATRextension_atr=0.65 | threshold breakout_max_extension_atr=2
- risk_rewardPASSreward/risk 2.81 to target 1 (strong), 4.72 to target 2reward_risk_1=2.81 · reward_risk_2=4.72 | threshold min_reward_risk_1=2
- portfolio_gatePASS4 shares (340), bound by risk budgetshares=4 · risk_amount=9.88 · regime_multiplier=1 · share_increment=1
- data_qualityPASScurrent session data, valid technical snapshot, trigger and ATR; critical facts known
- finalPASSWAIT (blocked by EARNINGS_WINDOW; primary EARNINGS_WINDOW)
Snapshot history: 2026-10-02 WAIT · 2026-10-01 BUY_ON_TRIGGER
Actions are generated from the configured trading strategy and current available market/intelligence data. They are not guarantees of future performance.