Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Strong Sell"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Alaska Air Group to “strong sell” from “sell,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $59.15.
• Alaska Air Group shares opened at $39.59, below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages of roughly $43.25, with a one-year range of $33.03 to $60.63.
• The company reported a quarterly loss of $0.92 per share, slightly better than estimates, but analysts expect a full-year loss of $1.88 per share. CEO Benito Minicucci bought 25,000 shares, while an executive vice president sold 5,300 shares.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report issued on Monday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Susquehanna upped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $69.00 price target (up from $58.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Alaska Air Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. BMO Capital Markets set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.15.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ALK opened at $39.59 on Monday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $43.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -25.22 and a beta of 1.33. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $33.03 and a one year high of $60.63.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The transportation company reported ($0.92) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.99) by $0.07. Alaska Air Group had a negative net margin of 1.19% and a negative return on equity of 3.11%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.42 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Alaska Air Group has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.000-1.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post -1.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In other news, CEO Benito Minicucci purchased 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $40.06 per share, with a total value of $1,001,500.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 256,582 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,278,674.92. The trade was a 10.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.67, for a total transaction of $263,251.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,528 shares in the company, valued at $1,267,975.76. The trade was a 17.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the second quarter valued at $1,407,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its position 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 last quarter. Amundi purchased a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 1st quarter worth $2,205,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 2nd quarter worth $2,230,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $4,799,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

Alaska Air Group, Inc is an airline holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Its principal subsidiaries are Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which provide scheduled passenger and cargo air transportation, as well as Horizon Air, a regional airline that operates flights for Alaska Airlines. The group also owns McGee Air Services, an aviation services provider.

Alaska Airlines serves destinations across Alaska, the contiguous United States, Canada, Mexico, and other locations in North America.

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