Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Shares Acquired by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 54.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 57,577 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 20,347 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can's holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $2,591,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 360.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 49,672 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,246,000 after purchasing an additional 38,874 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 45.1% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,422,247 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $64,300,000 after purchasing an additional 442,331 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 0.4% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,593,756 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $72,054,000 after buying an additional 6,977 shares during the last quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 339,151 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $15,333,000 after buying an additional 18,982 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $4,673,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ALK. Melius raised Alaska Air Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $56.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Melius Research raised Alaska Air Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, October 28th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 13th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $72.00 price target on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $60.08.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of ALK stock traded up $1.47 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $55.88. 2,828,503 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,238,061. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $32.62 and a 1 year high of $56.95. The company has a market cap of $7.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.60. The company's 50 day moving average is $48.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.21.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The transportation company reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $3.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The business's revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.83 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 4.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Alaska Air Group

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.