Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Sets New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Alaska Air Group hit a new 52-week low of $37.26 (last $37.02), trading well below its 50- and 200-day moving averages (≈$50) and carrying a market cap of about $4.25 billion.
• Wall Street remains generally positive with nine Buy and two Hold ratings, a consensus “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $68.80, despite recent downgrades from some firms.
• The company beat Q4 EPS estimates ($0.43 vs. $0.11) but has low liquidity (quick ratio 0.46), issued weak Q1 2026 guidance of -1.500 to -0.500 EPS (FY 2026: 3.5–6.5 EPS), and insiders have sold roughly 56,945 shares (~$3.2M) in the past 90 days.

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $37.26 and last traded at $37.02, with a volume of 79432 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.88.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Alaska Air Group from $77.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $70.00 price target (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $68.80.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average price is $50.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The company has a market cap of $4.25 billion, a PE ratio of 42.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 1.17.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.64 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.70% and a return on equity of 7.22%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. Alaska Air Group has set its Q1 2026 guidance at -1.500--0.500 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.500-6.500 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.81, for a total value of $794,745.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,106,887.95. This represents a 41.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total value of $1,371,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 43,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,478,995.55. This trade represents a 35.62% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 2,046.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 96,932 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,276,000 after acquiring an additional 92,416 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 60.2% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,423 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 2,414 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 81.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 340,258 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $16,747,000 after purchasing an additional 152,953 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group in the first quarter worth about $1,318,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 3.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,215,697 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $109,657,000 after buying an additional 77,531 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

About Alaska Air Group

Alaska Air Group is a publicly traded holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, that operates two main airlines—Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Through these carriers, the company offers scheduled passenger and cargo services across a network spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its core business activities include domestic and international air transportation, loyalty program management under the Mileage Plan brand, and ancillary revenue streams such as baggage fees, in-flight sales and code-share partnerships with other global airlines.

The roots of Alaska Air Group trace back to the foundation of its flagship carrier, Alaska Airlines, in 1932.

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