Deutsche Bank raised the firm's price target on Delta Air Lines to $90 from $80 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm believes airlines that generate positive return on invested capital in excess of weighted average cost of capital are well positioned to pay down debt and return capital to shareholders. They are also in "far better shape to weather an industry downturn, whether economically or geopolitically-driven," the analyst tells investors in a research note. Deutsche says "only a handful" of U.S. airlines are in a position to show "durability and resiliency" of earnings and free cash flow in the "geopolitically-driven" 2026 downturn. It adjusted price targets in the airlines group as part of a "value creation primer."
