Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Has $348,000 Position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 6.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,381 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 332 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $348,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ALK. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 259.3% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,175 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 848 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ALK. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. UBS Group increased their price target on Alaska Air Group from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $77.54.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In related news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 6,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.28, for a total value of $503,448.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 34,030 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,595,808.40. This represents a 16.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 9,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.90, for a total value of $654,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 9,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $677,976. This represents a 49.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 155,525 shares of company stock worth $11,268,375. 0.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $52.27 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $6.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $68.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $56.82. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $32.62 and a 52 week high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.52. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 14.66% and a net margin of 3.37%. On average, equities analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

Alaska Air Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates airlines. It operates through three segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The company offers scheduled air transportation services on Boeing jet aircraft for passengers and cargo in the United States, and in parts of Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, and the Bahamas; and for passengers across a shorter distance network within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.