Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Buys 9,205 Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 113.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,310 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,205 shares during the quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC's holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $852,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 25,160 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,238,000 after purchasing an additional 713 shares during the period. Polianta Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the first quarter valued at $885,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 96.3% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,926 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 945 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 707.9% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 474,005 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $23,331,000 after acquiring an additional 415,334 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 16.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,033 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $199,000 after acquiring an additional 571 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Alaska Air Group stock traded up $0.58 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $50.79. The stock had a trading volume of 2,454,331 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,897,974. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $32.62 and a 1 year high of $78.08. The stock's 50 day moving average is $49.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.58. The stock has a market cap of $6.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported ($0.77) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.72) by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.19 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 2.86% and a return on equity of 15.01%. The business's revenue was up 40.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.92) EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ALK. Bank of America cut their target price on Alaska Air Group from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $54.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Barclays reduced their price target on Alaska Air Group from $62.00 to $55.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $95.00 to $55.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $66.83.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In other news, VP Emily Halverson sold 2,946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.34, for a total transaction of $151,247.64. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 8,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at $423,709.02. This represents a 26.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction 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 owned 26,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,419,620.30. This trade represents a 22.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,479 shares of company stock worth $554,228. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.