Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Stock Moved Down to Strong Sell by Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Zacks reports.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Alaska Air Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $42.00 price target (down from $50.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Thursday. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $46.00 price target on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $43.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $53.23.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

ALK opened at $35.43 on Wednesday. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $32.33 and a one year high of $60.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 0.46 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.95 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.10 and a beta of 1.33.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.31 billion. Alaska Air Group had a negative return on equity of 5.42% and a negative net margin of 2.58%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.05 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post -3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In related news, EVP Andrew Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.67, for a total value of $263,251.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,528 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,267,975.76. This represents a 17.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Benito Minicucci bought 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was bought 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 directly owned 256,582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,278,674.92. This trade represents a 10.80% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ALK. Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 1,445.3% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 87,187 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,551,000 after purchasing an additional 81,545 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the second quarter worth $1,407,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the second quarter worth $2,230,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the second quarter worth $32,751,000. Finally, Amundi acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the first quarter worth $2,205,000. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Alaska Air Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Air reported strong revenue momentum in the third quarter, with revenue rising 14.4% year over year to approximately $4.31 billion. Premium traffic increased 24.5%, while diversified revenue streams reached 54% of the total mix, helping reduce the company’s reliance on traditional passenger fares. Alaska Air: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Strong yields and revenue growth supported better-than-expected underlying third-quarter earnings in some analyst assessments, indicating that pricing power and demand remain favorable. ALK Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong Yields Despite Fuel Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan and Susquehanna both reduced their price targets, to $74 and $43, respectively, but maintained bullish ratings of “overweight” and “positive.” The target cuts reflect lower near-term expectations rather than a shift to a bearish outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel inflation is the primary concern. Higher fuel expenses squeezed third-quarter profitability and are expected to weigh more heavily in the fourth quarter, overshadowing the company’s traffic and revenue gains. Alaska Air Group Stock Slides As Q3 Results Deepen Fuel Fears
• Negative Sentiment: Alaska Air guided to a fourth-quarter 2026 loss of $2.50 to $2.00 per share, substantially worse than the $1.14 loss analysts expected. Third-quarter EPS also came in slightly below the consensus estimate in the company’s reported results, reinforcing concerns about margin pressure. Alaska Air Group Fourth-Quarter Guidance

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

Alaska Air Group, Inc is an airline holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Its principal subsidiaries include Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which operate under separate brands while serving passengers throughout North America, the Pacific and other international markets.

Alaska Airlines provides scheduled passenger and air cargo services across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas, with a strong presence on the U.S. West Coast and in Alaska.