Will Airline Stocks Maintain Their Performance Amid U.S. Government Shutdown?
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 27 2025
0mins
Source: TipRanks
Impact of Government Shutdown: The U.S. federal government shutdown has led to significant flight delays, with over 8,400 flights affected due to air traffic controllers calling in sick, while essential personnel work without pay.
Airline Stock Resilience: Despite the shutdown, airline stocks have shown resilience, with the NYSE Arca Airline Index rising by 0.99% and major airlines like United, Delta, and American Airlines reporting gains in their stock prices and optimistic revenue forecasts.
Historical Context: Historically, airline stocks have performed well during government shutdowns, as seen in the previous shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, where the airline index rose nearly 15%.
Future Risks and Opportunities: Analysts warn of increasing risks to aviation operations if the shutdown continues, but also suggest that the situation presents investment opportunities in airline stocks, emphasizing the importance of strategic stock selection.
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Analyst Views on DAL
Wall Street analysts forecast DAL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for DAL is 81.36 USD with a low forecast of 69.00 USD and a high forecast of 90.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
16 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 65.830
Low
69.00
Averages
81.36
High
90.00
Current: 65.830
Low
69.00
Averages
81.36
High
90.00
About DAL
Delta Air Lines, Inc. provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. The Company has hubs and markets in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Bogota, Boston, Detroit, Lima, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo, Seattle, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo. Its segments include Airline and Refinery. Its airline segment is managed as a single business unit that provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world and includes its loyalty program, as well as other ancillary businesses. Its refinery segment operates for the benefit of the airline segment by providing jet fuel to the airline segment from its own production and through jet fuel obtained through agreements with third parties. The refinery's production consists of jet fuel as well as non-jet fuel products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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