Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Shares Sold by Nuveen Asset Management LLC

Nuveen Asset Management LLC lowered its position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 343,345 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 13,417 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC owned about 0.27% of Alaska Air Group worth $22,232,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of ALK. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 328.7% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,649,388 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $301,048,000 after acquiring an additional 3,564,749 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 4,615.3% during the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 943,064 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $61,063,000 after purchasing an additional 923,064 shares in the last quarter. Candlestick Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth about $51,306,000. Interval Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth about $50,507,000. Finally, Driehaus Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth about $37,562,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 1.7%

NYSE:ALK traded up $0.89 on Thursday, hitting $52.51. The stock had a trading volume of 469,026 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,409,297. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $48.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.40. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $32.62 and a 1-year high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported ($0.77) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.72) by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.19 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 14.66%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 40.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.92) earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alaska Air Group

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.51, for a total value of $401,325.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,419,620.30. This represents a 22.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Susquehanna cut their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $95.00 to $55.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. UBS Group cut shares of Alaska Air Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $75.00 to $54.00 in a research note on Monday, April 7th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $54.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $62.00 to $55.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $66.83.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

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.