Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $70.15.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ALK shares. UBS Group lowered Alaska Air Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $75.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Monday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Citigroup lowered 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, March 18th. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $95.00 to $55.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 3rd.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 6,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.28, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 16.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 9,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.90, for a total transaction of $654,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now 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. Insiders have sold a total of 154,725 shares of company stock worth $11,217,263 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 125.7% during the 1st quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 677 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 61.6% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 955 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 364 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

NYSE ALK traded down $1.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $43.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,809,027 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,586,762. The stock has a market cap of $5.37 billion, a PE ratio of 14.34, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.37. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $58.02. Alaska Air Group has a 52 week low of $32.62 and a 52 week high of $78.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.