Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Stock Holdings Increased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 633,514 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 24,796 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.50% of Alaska Air Group worth $28,312,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ALK. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 2,087.8% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 762,889 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $34,490,000 after acquiring an additional 728,019 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,390,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 45.1% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,422,247 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $64,300,000 after purchasing an additional 442,331 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 5.8% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,504,583 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $262,789,000 after purchasing an additional 357,907 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mesirow Institutional Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the second quarter worth about $11,475,000. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of ALK traded up $2.53 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $64.97. 3,065,366 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,307,035. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.60. The business's 50-day moving average price is $52.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.60. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $32.62 and a 12 month high of $65.62.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The transportation company reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.03. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 12.81% and a net margin of 2.99%. The firm had revenue of $3.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.83 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In other Alaska Air Group news, SVP Andrea L. Schneider sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.89, for a total value of $51,112.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 20,286 shares in the company, valued at $1,296,072.54. This represents a 3.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 13,880 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.01, for a total value of $888,458.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,321,038.38. This trade represents a 40.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 34,473 shares of company stock worth $2,198,342 over the last ninety days. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on ALK shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Bank of America upped their price target on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. Melius raised shares of Alaska Air Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $56.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $72.00 target price on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alaska Air Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $65.86.

Alaska Air Group 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.