NEW YORK (TheStreet) —Delta Airlines Inc.‘s (DAL) price target was raised to $52 from $50 at UBS (UBS) on Thursday.

The firm said it upped its numbers on the airline as it expects the stock to continue growing.

UBS also raised its 2014 third quarter earnings per share estimates to $1.23 from $1.13, and its full year 2014 estimates to $3.25 from $3.15.

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For fiscal 2015 UBS is forecasting Delta will earn $4, up from its original estimate of $3.80 per share.

Shares of Delta Airlines are up 0.77% to $39.45 in pre-market trading today.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates DELTA AIR LINES INC as a Buy with a ratings score of B. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:

“We rate DELTA AIR LINES INC (DAL) a BUY. This is driven by multiple strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company’s strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its notable return on equity, reasonable valuation levels, solid stock price performance, compelling growth in net income and revenue growth. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.”

Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows:

• Compared to other companies in the Airlines industry and the overall market, DELTA AIR LINES INC’s return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the SP 500.
• Powered by its strong earnings growth of 2400.00% and other important driving factors, this stock has surged by 83.58% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the SP 500 Index during the same period. Regarding the stock’s future course, although almost any stock can fall in a broad market decline, DAL should continue to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed a very nice gain in the past year.
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the SP 500 and the Airlines industry. The net income increased by 2942.8% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $7.00 million to $213.00 million.
• The revenue growth significantly trails the industry average of 43.9%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 4.9%. Growth in the company’s revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
• You can view the full analysis from the report here: DAL Ratings Report

STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

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US airlines cancel flights to Israel

US airline Delta said Tuesday it was indefinitely suspending flights between the United States and Israel, citing security concerns.

In a statement, the carrier said it had diverted a flight bound for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport to Paris on Tuesday after “reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv.”

The announcement comes as an Israeli assault on Gaza entered its third week, and world powers pushed for a truce between the Jewish state and Hamas militants.

“Delta has suspended service until further notice to and from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and its New York-JFK hub,” the airline said in a statement.

“Delta, in coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration, is doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees.”

The carrier said the diverted flight was a Boeing (NYSE: BA – news) 747 with 273 passengers and 17 crew on board, adding it was “working to reaccommodate these customers.”

Working in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and others, Delta said it would continue to monitor the situation.

ATLANTA, July 22 (UPI) —The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday that all American carriers must cancel their flights to and from Israel for a period of 24 hours.

According to the FAA statement:

“At 12:15 EST on July 22, 2014, the FAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) informing U.S. airlines that they are prohibited from flying to or from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport for a period of up to 24 hours. The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning of July 22, 2014. The NOTAM applies only to U.S. operators, and has no authority over foreign airlines operating to or from the airport.”

Prior to the FAA order, three American carriers announced earlier Tuesday they had decided to suspend flights to and from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, citing security concerns.

Delta noted that the suspension would be in effect “until further notice,” and cited security concerns and an incident involving Delta Flight 468 that was diverted to Paris while en route from JFK to Paris-Charles de Gaulle on Tuesday “after reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv.”

American Airlines and U.S. Airways followed suit, announcing on Wednesday their flights to and from Israel had been canceled.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State issued an updated travel warning for Israel, advising against non-essential travel to Israel and the West Bank.

“The Department of State recommends that U.S. citizens consider the deferral of non-essential travel to Israel and the West Bank and reaffirms the longstanding strong warning to U.S. citizens against any travel to the Gaza Strip.”

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a deadly exchange of airstrikes for more than two weeks.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. 

Updated 12:10 pm EDT: United Airlines (NYSE:UAL) has suspended all operations to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, International Business Times has learned. “We are working with government officials to ensure the safety of our customers and our employees and will continue to evaluate the situation,” spokesperson Jennifer Dohm said in an e-mail statement. 

The airline canceled two of its flights bound for Tel Aviv from Newark on Tuesday. Flight tracking web site FlightAware.com shows that UA Flight 84 and UA Flight 90 have both been canceled. 

The White House says that the F.A.A. has not issued any specific notices about flights over Mideast airpace, but individual carriers can make their own decisions, Reuters reports. 

Updated 11:57 am EDT: US Airways also canceled a flight to Israel Tuesday, USA Today reports. Flight 796, which left Los Angeles Tuesday morning, stopped in Philadelphia. It was bound for Tel Aviv on Tuesday night but was canceled by the airline. The airline has not yet confirmed whether all service to Israel has been suspended. 

Original story: Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) has indefinitely suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport and its hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, International Business Times has confirmed.

In a statement Tuesday, the airline said that it is “doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees” and is in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

The news comes after Delta diverted flight DL468, a Boeing 747 bound from JFK to Tel Aviv, to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport on Tuesday, because of reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv. The flight was carrying 273 passengers and 17 crew members.

Customers who currently hold tickets with flights to, from or through Tel Aviv can make a one-time change to their tickets without incurring a fee.

Delta Airlines Inc.

(
DAL

) is slated to report its second-quarter 2014 results on Jul 23,
before the market opens. In the last quarter, the company had
delivered a 13.79% positive earnings surprise. Moreover, the
trailing four quarter average beat is pegged at 6.34%. Let’s see
how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.

Factors Influencing Results this Quarter

We remain encouraged by Delta’s commitment to consistently
improve operational performance, enhance customer experience and
increase shareholder returns through balanced capital investments.
Strong domestic market, capacity discipline, cost control measures
and customer-focused initiatives are expected to boost the
company’s topline.

On the service front, Delta offers flat-bed seats in
BusinessElite on every international destination along with
on-demand entertainment across all seats, thus adding to passenger
comfort and value.

Moreover, this premier passenger carrier has fortified its
position in Seattle by adding several international and domestic
routes, and is building the coastal city as a key part of its
Pacific network restructuring. Further, the acquisition of Virgin
Atlantic has strengthened Delta’s trans-Atlantic operations.

Earnings Whispers?

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Delta Airlines
is likely to beat earnings. This is because a stock needs to have
both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2
(Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not
the case here as elaborated below.

Zacks ESP:

Earnings ESP

, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate
estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at 0.00% for
Delta Airlines.

Zacks Rank:

Delta Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #1 which increases the
predictive power of ESP. But when combined with ESP of 0.00%, it
makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 and 5 (Sell-rated
stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the
company is seeing negative estimate revision momentum.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are some other companies to consider as our model shows
that these have the right combination of elements to post an
earnings beat this quarter:

Allegiant Travel Group Inc.

(
ALGT

), with earnings ESP of +6.40% and a Zacks Rank #1.

Southwest Airlines Co

(
LUV

), with earnings ESP of +3.39% and a Zacks Rank #1.

Alaska Air Group Inc.

(
ALK

), with earnings ESP of +0.92% and a Zacks Rank #1.

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SOUTHWEST AIR (LUV): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Research

Delta Airlines Inc. (DAL) is slated to report its second-quarter 2014 results on Jul 23, before the market opens. In the last quarter, the company had delivered a 13.79% positive earnings surprise. Moreover, the trailing four quarter average beat is pegged at 6.34%. Let’s see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.

Factors Influencing Results this Quarter

We remain encouraged by Delta’s commitment to consistently improve operational performance, enhance customer experience and increase shareholder returns through balanced capital investments. Strong domestic market, capacity discipline, cost control measures and customer-focused initiatives are expected to boost the company’s topline.

On the service front, Delta offers flat-bed seats in BusinessElite on every international destination along with on-demand entertainment across all seats, thus adding to passenger comfort and value.

Moreover, this premier passenger carrier has fortified its position in Seattle by adding several international and domestic routes, and is building the coastal city as a key part of its Pacific network restructuring. Further, the acquisition of Virgin Atlantic has strengthened Delta’s trans-Atlantic operations.

Earnings Whispers?

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Delta Airlines is likely to beat earnings. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here as elaborated below.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at 0.00% for Delta Airlines.

Zacks Rank: Delta Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #1 which increases the predictive power of ESP. But when combined with ESP of 0.00%, it makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revision momentum.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are some other companies to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Allegiant Travel Group Inc. (ALGT), with earnings ESP of +6.40% and a Zacks Rank #1.

Southwest Airlines Co (LUV), with earnings ESP of +3.39% and a Zacks Rank #1.

Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK), with earnings ESP of +0.92% and a Zacks Rank #1.

Read the Full Research Report on LUV
Read the Full Research Report on DAL
Read the Full Research Report on ALGT
Read the Full Research Report on ALK

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Delta Airlines has announced the suspension of all its flights to Liberia due to weak passenger demand.

However, the Government of Liberia said it is in high-level consultations with the management of Delta Airlines intended to explore options that will not disrupt the experience and convenience of traveling via Delta.

A government delegation comprising Counselor Seward Cooper, Minister of State for Legal and Economic Affairs and Mr. Gyude Moore, Deputy Chief of Office Staff in the Office of the President, is in Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with the management of Delta Airlines, after Delta informed the government of the suspension of its service to Monrovia, effective August 31, 2014, due to weak passenger demand.

Delta Airlines commenced direct flights to New York from Monrovia via Accra, Ghana in 2010. While Nigeria and Ghana, two other destinations of Delta Airlines, are netting 10,000,000 and over 2,000,000 passengers per year respectively, Liberia’s highest passenger level was only 205,000, recorded in 2013.

Delta has informed the Liberian Government that the last eastbound flight from New York will occur on August 30th, and the last westbound flight from Monrovia will be on August 31st.

Meanwhile, the management of Delta Airlines has thanked the Liberian Government for the support it continues to receive, and has reassured the government that it will continue to explore avenues that are economically feasible for the lifting of the suspension and a resumption of direct flights between Liberia and the United States.