Alaska Air Group, Inc. $ALK Shares Sold by Baird Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in Alaska Air Group by 9.5%, selling 12,908 shares and now owning 123,549 shares valued at approximately $6.08 million.
• Alaska Air Group reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.78 for the last quarter, exceeding estimates and showing a 27.9% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• Analysts have upgraded Alaska Air Group's stock ratings, with several raising price targets, leading to a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $68.00.

Baird Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 9.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 123,549 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 12,908 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned 0.10% of Alaska Air Group worth $6,081,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ALK. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 134.0% during the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,134,221 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $138,191,000 after purchasing an additional 1,222,277 shares during the period. Interval Partners LP purchased a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $50,507,000. Driehaus Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,562,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in Alaska Air Group by 707.9% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 474,005 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $23,331,000 after acquiring an additional 415,334 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 630.3% during the first quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 442,038 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $21,757,000 after acquiring an additional 381,509 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on ALK shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $49.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Alaska Air Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, August 25th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $68.00.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of ALK traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $63.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,528,083 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,094,118. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.81, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $55.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.80. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $37.84 and a fifty-two week high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.65 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 2.33% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.55 EPS. Alaska Air Group has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 1.000-1.400 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 3.250- EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alaska Air Group

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,600 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.22, for a total value of $404,472.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,007,454.60. The trade was a 28.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kyle B. Levine sold 5,914 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.75, for a total value of $341,533.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 20,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,207,956.75. The trade was a 22.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 18,514 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,306 in the last quarter. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Alaska Air Group

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.