UBS Group Lowers Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Price Target to $52.00

Key Points

• UBS Group lowered Alaska Air Group’s price target from $56 to $52 while maintaining a “buy” rating, implying nearly 30% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: 11 analysts rate the stock a Buy, one rates it Hold and two rate it Sell, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $61.12.
• Alaska Air Group shares opened at $40.02, while recent quarterly results showed a $0.92 loss per share—better than estimates—but revenue of $4.07 billion slightly missed expectations.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by UBS Group from $56.00 to $52.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. UBS Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 29.93% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on ALK. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $46.00 price target on Alaska Air Group in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Alaska Air Group from $47.00 to $37.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna upped their price target on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $46.00 price target (down from $59.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $69.00 price objective (up from $58.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Eleven 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $61.12.

Alaska Air Group Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE ALK opened at $40.02 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The business's 50 day moving average is $45.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.01. Alaska Air Group has a 52-week low of $33.03 and a 52-week high of $65.88. The firm has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -25.50 and a beta of 1.28.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The transportation company reported ($0.92) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.99) by $0.07. Alaska Air Group had a negative return on equity of 3.11% and a negative net margin of 1.19%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.09 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.42 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Alaska Air Group has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.000-1.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group will post -1.74 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In related news, EVP Andrew Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the business'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 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Benito Minicucci acquired 25,000 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $40.06 per share, with a total value of $1,001,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 256,582 shares in the company, valued at $10,278,674.92. The trade was a 10.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 242.5% in the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 685 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Compound Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 963.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 840 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 761 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 32.5% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,570 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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