Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Analysts

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $59.31.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ALK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Alaska Air Group from $94.00 to $92.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $54.00 target price (up from $52.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alaska Air Group news, CEO Benito Minicucci acquired 25,000 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $40.06 per share, for a total transaction of $1,001,500.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 256,582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,278,674.92. This represents a 10.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.67, for a total transaction of $263,251.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,528 shares in the company, valued at $1,267,975.76. The trade was a 17.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ALK. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Alaska Air Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $606,307,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,348,163 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $233,463,000 after purchasing an additional 145,484 shares in the last quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA purchased a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $168,467,000. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 86.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 3,175,350 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $159,720,000 after purchasing an additional 1,475,350 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,149,777 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $108,166,000 after purchasing an additional 35,352 shares in the last quarter. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Alaska Air Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alaska Air Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Air Group moved its Alaska Accelerate strategy into its activation phase, targeting $1 billion in incremental profit by 2027. The plan includes fleet growth, at least 15 intercontinental destinations by 2030, expanded lounges and enhanced loyalty offerings. Alaska Air Advances With the Activation of Alaska Accelerate
• Positive Sentiment: The company unveiled new premium products across Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, including lie-flat Aurora Suites, Premium Reserve seating, upgraded dining and expanded lounge services. These initiatives are intended to increase revenue from higher-paying travelers. Alaska Airlines unveils massive premium cabin overhaul
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays issued a Buy rating, while recent analyst targets remain materially above the current trading level. Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci also purchased 25,000 shares in the past six months, providing a modest insider-confidence signal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alaska’s CEO said he was not overly concerned about another delay to Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 certification, limiting the immediate impact of the news on the company’s fleet plans. Alaska Airlines CEO on Boeing MAX 10 delay
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may be concerned that the benefits of the expansion and premium-travel strategy will take time to translate into earnings. Alaska said it has captured roughly two-thirds of its incremental profit target, potentially leaving the market seeking stronger near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel remains a major headwind: second-quarter economic fuel costs rose 85% year over year, adding approximately $600 million in expense. Volatile oil prices, elevated Treasury yields and weaker market sentiment are adding pressure to airline shares. Alaska Air bets on premium travel as fuel costs bite

Alaska Air Group Trading Down 3.1%

NYSE:ALK opened at $38.71 on Friday. Alaska Air Group has a 12 month low of $33.03 and a 12 month high of $60.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $43.50 and its 200 day moving average is $43.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.31 billion, a PE ratio of -24.65 and a beta of 1.28.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The transportation company reported ($0.92) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.99) by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.09 billion. Alaska Air Group had a negative return on equity of 3.11% and a negative net margin of 1.19%.Alaska Air Group’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.42 earnings per share. Alaska Air Group has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.000-1.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post -1.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

Alaska Air Group, Inc is an airline holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Its principal subsidiaries are Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which provide scheduled passenger and cargo air transportation, as well as Horizon Air, a regional airline that operates flights for Alaska Airlines. The group also owns McGee Air Services, an aviation services provider.

Alaska Airlines serves destinations across Alaska, the contiguous United States, Canada, Mexico, and other locations in North America.