Alaska Air Group, Inc. $ALK Shares Purchased by Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 24.8%, buying 588,119 shares to own 2,962,620 shares (about 2.55% of the company) worth roughly $149 million.
• Alaska Air cut Q1 2026 guidance materially below consensus and has drawn negative research attention (notably a Zacks downgrade), with higher fuel costs and weaker demand cited as key near‑term risks.
• Despite the headwinds, analysts overall remain cautiously positive: MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus and an average price target of $63.67, while the stock trades in a wide 52‑week range of $33.03–$65.88.

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 24.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,962,620 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 588,119 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned 2.55% of Alaska Air Group worth $149,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ellis Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 40,885 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,035,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,397 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Lesa Sroufe & Co boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lesa Sroufe & Co now owns 36,589 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,821,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,387 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 43.2% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 838 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ALK has been the topic of a number of research reports. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Monday, January 12th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $60.00 to $53.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald set a $63.00 price objective on Alaska Air Group in a report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $63.67.

Alaska Air Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alaska Air Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Airlines renewed a high‑visibility marketing push as the official airline partner of Coachella and Stagecoach — a demand/brand-strengthening activation that could support bookings in peak April travel to Palm Springs. Alaska Airlines Coachella Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks issued several upward revisions to ALK’s mid‑to‑late‑2026 and FY2027/FY2028 estimates (Q2–Q4 2026/2027 and FY2027/FY2028), implying stronger recovery in later quarters and higher long‑run EPS expectations — a potential positive for sentiment if fundamentals follow. (Estimates cited in Zacks research releases)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is mixed: a Zacks piece highlights Wall Street bulls’ optimism on ALK (discusses analyst views and whether to buy). Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic
• Negative Sentiment: Alaska Air sharply lowered its Q1 2026 EPS guidance to a range of -2.00 to -1.50, well below consensus (around -0.94) — a material near‑term earnings miss that increases execution risk and downward pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded ALK from “Hold” to “Strong Sell” and cut several near‑term estimates (notably Q1 2026 and Q3 2026), and also cut Q1 2028 to a loss. The downgrade plus multiple estimate cuts amplify negative sentiment; Zacks’ coverage also includes the “avoid” commentary on fuel costs, weak demand and estimate cuts. Zacks Downgrade / Read More
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Zacks analysis flagged higher fuel costs and weaker demand in key markets as headwinds — factors that help explain the guidance cut and are likely to keep near‑term volatility elevated. Why Investors Should Avoid ALK

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

ALK stock opened at $39.55 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.03 and a 52-week high of $65.88. The stock's 50 day moving average is $46.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.88. The company has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a PE ratio of 45.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.75 and a beta of 1.27.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 7.22% and a net margin of 0.70%.The company had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.97 EPS. Alaska Air Group's revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Alaska Air Group news, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total transaction of $1,371,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,377 shares in the company, valued at $2,478,995.55. The trade was a 35.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total value of $311,465.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,828 shares in the company, valued at $1,745,789.64. This represents a 15.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569 in the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

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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