Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Stock Rating Upgraded by UBS Group

Key Points

• Alaska Air Group has been upgraded from a "neutral" to a "buy" rating by UBS Group, with a new price target of $90.00, indicating a potential upside of 41.04% from its current stock price.
• Thirteen research analysts have given Alaska Air Group a consensus rating of "Buy," with a combined average price target of $71.15.
• The company reported $1.78 earnings per share for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations, alongside a revenue increase of 27.9% year-over-year.

UBS Group upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have $90.00 price target on the transportation company's stock, up from their prior price target of $56.00.

ALK has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays upped their price target on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $73.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, September 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Alaska Air Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, August 25th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $71.92.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

NYSE ALK traded up $2.23 during trading on Friday, hitting $59.83. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,064,544 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,099,470. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $56.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.46. The firm has a market cap of $6.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.45. Alaska Air Group has a 52 week low of $39.10 and a 52 week high of $78.08.

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

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.22, for a total value of $404,472.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,930 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,007,454.60. This trade represents a 28.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total value of $285,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,335 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,472,695.10. The trade was a 10.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 18,514 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,306. Insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 41.1% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 632 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 80.5% during the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 628 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Perkins Coie Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 125.7% during the first quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 677 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the period. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Rexford Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the second quarter worth approximately $49,000. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Alaska Air Group

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.