Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Upgraded by Raymond James Financial to Outperform Rating

Key Points

• Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) has been upgraded by Raymond James Financial from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating, with a target price of $70.00, indicating an upside potential of 18.04% from its previous close.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings of $1.78 EPS, beating analysts' expectations, along with a revenue of $3.70 billion, which is up 27.9% year-over-year.
• Institutional and hedge fund investors own approximately 81.90% of Alaska Air Group's stock, reflecting strong investment interest in the company.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Raymond James Financial from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Monday,Finviz reports. The brokerage currently has a $70.00 target price on the transportation company's stock. Raymond James Financial's target price would indicate a potential upside of 18.04% from the company's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on ALK. UBS Group boosted their price target on Alaska Air Group from $49.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $68.00.

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 8.0%

Shares of ALK opened at $59.3020 on Monday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $52.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.69. The stock has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 24.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.45. Alaska Air Group has a 12 month low of $34.60 and a 12 month high of $78.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.49.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.65 billion. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 2.33%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.55 earnings per share. Alaska Air Group has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 1.000-1.400 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 3.250- EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In other Alaska Air Group news, SVP Kyle B. Levine sold 5,914 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.75, for a total transaction of $341,533.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 20,917 shares in the company, valued at $1,207,956.75. This represents a 22.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.22, for a total value of $404,472.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,930 shares in the company, valued at $1,007,454.60. The trade was a 28.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,460 shares of company stock worth $1,182,553. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ALK. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Alaska Air Group by 2,046.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 96,932 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $6,276,000 after buying an additional 92,416 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC raised its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 19.3% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 14,295 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $926,000 after purchasing an additional 2,310 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $202,000. Pinebridge Investments L.P. raised its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 33.5% during the 4th quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 11,628 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $753,000 after purchasing an additional 2,917 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 85,229 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $5,519,000 after purchasing an additional 11,216 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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