Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Upgraded at Melius Research

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Melius Research from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a $56.00 price target on the transportation company's stock. Melius Research's target price would indicate a potential upside of 18.90% from the company's previous close.

ALK has been the topic of several other research reports. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $51.00 to $48.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Monday, October 21st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Melius raised shares of Alaska Air Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $56.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $54.17.

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 3.4 %

Shares of NYSE:ALK traded up $1.56 during trading on Monday, hitting $47.10. 1,835,256 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,266,860. Alaska Air Group has a 1-year low of $30.75 and a 1-year high of $47.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $41.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market cap of $5.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.19, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.60.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the second quarter worth $28,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. increased its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 952.4% during the third quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 1,105 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the second quarter worth $69,000. Halpern Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the second quarter worth $81,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 31.7% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 626 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

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.