Delta Air Lines’ stock price could be posed to gain lift if current financial headwinds ease from a slowing economy, the federal government shutdown and reduced fuel costs. 

Airline stocks have been underperformers during the past couple of years and Delta Air Lines’ stock price (NYSE:DAL) has dropped during that time, too, even though it is continuing to post profits. The market appears to be focused on seeing additional growth before it rewards airline stocks and the wait could last a while longer until an upturn in their share prices occurs. 

The prospects of Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines’ stock price taking off again should improve in the near term if the federal government shutdown ends soon and fuel prices dip, as some analysts expect in the months ahead. Delta Air Lines’ stock price rose slightly to $47.83, up 8 cents, or 0.17 percent, on Jan. 15 after its fourth-quarter earnings announcement early that morning seemed to appease the market. The company beat analysts’ earnings estimates slightly. The Jan. 15 share-price gain marked an improvement from the previous day, when its share price slipped 81 cents, or 1.67 percent, to close at $47.75.

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Paul Dykewicz, www.pauldykewicz.com, is an accomplished, award-winning journalist who has written for Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, the Journal of Commerce,Seeking Alpha, GuruFocus and other publications and websites. Paul is the editor of StockInvestor.com and DividendInvestor.com, a writer for both websites and a columnist. He further is the editorial director of Eagle Financial Publications in Washington, D.C., where he edits monthly investment newsletters, time-sensitive trading alerts, free e-letters and other investment reports. Paul previously served as business editor of Baltimore’s Daily Record newspaper. Paul also is the author of an inspirational book, “Holy Smokes! Golden Guidance from Notre Dame’s Championship Chaplain,” with a foreword by former national championship-winning football coach Lou Holtz.