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Goldman raised DAL to $116 and UAL to $162, citing stronger revenue trends and fuel costs that have dropped 21% in the past month.

Goldman rates AAL a Sell at $15, which is below its current $18 price, while TD Cowen rates it a Buy at $24. Both analysts are looking at the same balance sheet yet reaching opposite conclusions.

Additionally, Goldman rates JBLU a Sell at $4.50, but the JETS ETF offers diversified airline exposure without single-name risk; the fund is up 18% YTD and carries a 0.6% expense ratio.

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Wall Street sent a coordinated bullish signal to the airline sector as Goldman Sachs analyst Catherine O'Brien and TD Cowen analyst Tom Fitzgerald raised their price targets across most major U.S. carriers. Goldman lifted its targets on shares of Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL), United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL), Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK), American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) and JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU), while TD Cowen raised its targets on shares of American and Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV). These analysts see improving revenue and easing fuel costs, though the two firms disagree on American Airlines stock.

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Ticker

Company

Firm

Action

Old Rating

New Rating

Old Target

New Target

DAL

Delta

Goldman Sachs

PT raise

Buy

Buy

$80

$116

UAL

United

Goldman Sachs

PT raise

Buy

Buy

$131

$162

ALK

Alaska

Goldman Sachs

PT raise

Buy

Buy

$58

$69

AAL

American

Goldman Sachs

PT raise

Sell

Sell

$10

$15

JBLU

JetBlue

Goldman Sachs

PT raise

Sell

Sell

$3.50

$4.50

AAL

American

TD Cowen

PT raise

Buy

Buy

$20

$24

LUV

Southwest

TD Cowen

PT raise

Buy

Buy

$47

$53

Goldman's O'Brien cited higher estimates on stronger revenue trends and lower fuel prices, with demand momentum continuing despite significant fare increases that began in March. Meanwhile, TD Cowen's Fitzgerald framed his Q2 2026 preview as "broadly constructive," assuming carriers hold this year's fare hikes, though he cautioned that investors will likely need confirmation that demand stays robust for shares to extend gains.

WTI crude oil sits at $68.15 per barrel, down 21% from a month earlier and well off April's $114.58 spike, easing costs for the group.

Delta posted Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $0.64 on revenue of $14.2 billion, with premium ticket revenue up 14%. United beat estimates with adjusted EPS of $1.19 and guided full-year 2026 EPS to $7 to $11.

Southwest reported Q1 revenue of $7.249 billion, and CEO Bob Jordan called it "a turning point for Southwest." American's Q1 loss of $0.40 per share beat expectations, but the company's balance sheet carries $34.7 billion in debt and negative stockholders' equity of $4.1 billion.

The tension here pertains to American Airlines stock. Goldman's $15 Sell target sits below the current quote at around $18, implying downside, while TD Cowen's $24 Buy target implies upside. Goldman's Sell-rated American and JetBlue both carry targets below current prices, while its Buy-rated Delta, United and Alaska imply room to run.

Delta stock is up 34% year to date (YTD), United shares 20%, and Southwest stock 22%. Delta stock trades at a P/E ratio of 14x and United at 12x, modest for legacy carriers.

For diversified sector exposure without single-name risk, the U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSEARCA:JETS) bundles these carriers at an expense ratio of 0.6%. The ETF is up 18% YTD.

Airlines remain highly cyclical and sensitive to fuel prices and travel demand. University of Michigan consumer sentiment fell to 44.8 in May, a level that could pressure discretionary travel spend. Investors should consider sizing their airline exposure modestly given volatility.

Analyst ratings are opinions, not guarantees, and the split view on American Airlines stock shows reasonable analysts can reach opposite conclusions on the same balance sheet. The bullish tape on Delta, United, Alaska and Southwest gives long-term investors a clearer runway, provided demand and fuel cooperate.

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Contact editorial@247wallst.com for any questions or corrections.