Alaska Air Group, Inc. $ALK Stock: U S Global Investors Inc. Grows Holdings

Key Points

• U.S. Global Investors increased its Alaska Air Group stake by 13.9% in the third quarter to 728,679 shares valued at approximately $28.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 81.9% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: several firms cut price targets or downgraded the stock, although the broader analyst consensus remains a “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $53.23.
• Alaska Air reported 14.4% year-over-year revenue growth to $4.31 billion, but missed quarterly EPS estimates and faces margin pressure from higher fuel costs; management’s fourth-quarter loss guidance was significantly worse than analysts expected.

U S Global Investors Inc. grew its holdings in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 13.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 728,679 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 88,966 shares during the quarter. Alaska Air Group comprises approximately 2.8% of U S Global Investors Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. U S Global Investors Inc. owned approximately 0.65% of Alaska Air Group worth $28,200,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth $48,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 7,979 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. Mosley Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1,475.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mosley Wealth Management now owns 945 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC now owns 91,940 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,658,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1,065.1% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 314,093 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $12,155,000 after acquiring an additional 287,134 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ALK has been the topic of several recent research reports. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $43.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup reaffirmed a "sell" rating and set a $33.00 target price (down from $37.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Alaska Air Group from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Alaska Air Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $53.23.

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 5.6%

ALK opened at $35.43 on Friday. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $32.33 and a 52 week high of $60.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $43.18. The firm has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.10 and a beta of 1.33.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.03). Alaska Air Group had a negative net margin of 2.58% and a negative return on equity of 5.42%. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.05 EPS. Alaska Air Group's quarterly revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post -3.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Alaska Air Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Air reported strong revenue momentum in the third quarter, with revenue rising 14.4% year over year to approximately $4.31 billion. Premium traffic increased 24.5%, while diversified revenue streams reached 54% of the total mix, helping reduce the company’s reliance on traditional passenger fares. Alaska Air: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Strong yields and revenue growth supported better-than-expected underlying third-quarter earnings in some analyst assessments, indicating that pricing power and demand remain favorable. ALK Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong Yields Despite Fuel Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan and Susquehanna both reduced their price targets, to $74 and $43, respectively, but maintained bullish ratings of “overweight” and “positive.” The target cuts reflect lower near-term expectations rather than a shift to a bearish outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel inflation is the primary concern. Higher fuel expenses squeezed third-quarter profitability and are expected to weigh more heavily in the fourth quarter, overshadowing the company’s traffic and revenue gains. Alaska Air Group Stock Slides As Q3 Results Deepen Fuel Fears
• Negative Sentiment: Alaska Air guided to a fourth-quarter 2026 loss of $2.50 to $2.00 per share, substantially worse than the $1.14 loss analysts expected. Third-quarter EPS also came in slightly below the consensus estimate in the company’s reported results, reinforcing concerns about margin pressure. Alaska Air Group Fourth-Quarter Guidance

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Benito Minicucci bought 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $40.06 per share, with a total value of $1,001,500.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 256,582 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,278,674.92. This trade represents a 10.80% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Andrew Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the company'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 sale, the executive vice president owned 25,528 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,267,975.76. This trade represents a 17.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.00% 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 include Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which operate under separate brands while serving passengers throughout North America, the Pacific and other international markets.

Alaska Airlines provides scheduled passenger and air cargo services across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas, with a strong presence on the U.S. West Coast and in Alaska.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.