S&P 500 falls even with most stocks rising as traders dump AI names

Delta Air Lines reported its first-quarter results before markets opened on Wednesday. The carrier’s shares surged 12% in premarket trading.

Delta, which as of today will charge passengers $10 more per checked bag, reported:

• Adjusted earnings of $0.64 per share, compared to $0.58 per share expected by analysts polled by FactSet.

• Adjusted operating revenue of $14.2 billion, compared to estimates of $14 billion.

Looking ahead, Delta said it expects Q2 earnings per share of between $1 and $1.50, below Wall Street estimates of $1.56 per share — which might be enough to disappoint investors if oil, one of the largest inputs for an airlines' fuel cost base, wasn't tanking. Indeed, West Texas Intermediate crude futures are down more than 16% on Wednesday morning, following President Trump’s comments that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday evening. Delta did not give any full-year earnings guidance in its press release.

Like other carriers, Delta has taken a hit in recent weeks as oil — and jet fuel — spikes amid the war in Iran. Significant delays, cancellations, and rebookings have also battered US airlines.

Delta, which is becoming an increasingly K-shaped airline, saw premium tickets grow 14% year-over-year in the first quarter, compared to 1% growth in main cabin tickets.

Levi Strauss rose more than 11% in premarket trading after it beat earnings expectations and raised its full-year guidance.

For its fiscal year 2026, which ends December 1st, the apparel giant now expects to report:

• Revenue growth between 5.5% to 6.5%, up from 5% to 6%. Analysts polled by FactSet are penciling in about 6.21% sales growth.

• Adjusted earnings per share between $1.42 to $1.48, up from $1.40 to $1.46, but still a hair below the $1.49 the Street was expecting.

The company also beat expectations for its first quarter, which ended March 1. It reported:

• Quarterly adjusted earnings per share of $0.42, versus $0.37 expected.

• Revenue of $1.74 billion, more than 5% ahead of the $1.65 billion that was expected, with direct-to-consumer sales making up the majority of its revenue stream for the quarter.

The stock is up nearly 11% as of 6:35 a.m. ET, having shed roughly ~5% from the start of the year to yesterday's close.

Oil prices are sharply lower Wednesday morning, extending their biggest single-day drop in six years after President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil supply flows.

As of 5:10 a.m. ET, international benchmark Brent crude was down 13.6% at around $94 per barrel, while US WTI crude fell ~16% to $95 per barrel — following its steepest one-day decline since the Russia-Saudi price war in March 2020 and extending the overnight selloff.

A slew of energy stocks are also giving back some of their war-driven gains, with oil-and-gas producers including Occidental Petroleum, Devon Energy, Diamondback Energy, ConocoPhillips, APA Corporation, Coterra Energy, and EOG Resources all down 6-9% in premarket trading.

Oil majors Exxon and Chevron both fell more than 5%, while fuel refiners including Marathon Petroleum, Valero, and Phillips 66 moved 4-6% lower.

Oilfield services names like Halliburton and natural gas producer EQT Corp fell 4-5%, while Chemical makers Dow, Inc. and LyondellBasell, along with fertilizer company CF Industries, are also trading lower. Natural gas exporter Cheniere Energy was also deeply in the red.