Quantitative Investment Management LLC Purchases 43,319 Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. $ALK

Key Points

• Quantitative Investment Management LLC significantly increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by acquiring an additional 43,319 shares, raising its holdings by 270.8% to a total of 59,316 shares valued at approximately $2.9 million.
• Multiple analyst upgrades were reported, with price targets for Alaska Air Group increasing to as high as $67.83, indicating a general market confidence in the stock with an average rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Company insiders have begun selling shares, such as CFO Shane R. Tackett, who sold 5,000 shares, indicating potential shifts in confidence or strategy among executive leadership.

Quantitative Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 270.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 59,316 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 43,319 shares during the period. Quantitative Investment Management LLC's holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $2,919,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.5% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,224,165 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $158,693,000 after acquiring an additional 47,184 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 134.0% in the fourth quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,134,221 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $138,191,000 after acquiring an additional 1,222,277 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 20.2% in the first quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,910,364 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $94,028,000 after acquiring an additional 321,505 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 36.7% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,062,712 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $52,307,000 after acquiring an additional 285,382 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 22.1% in the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 973,956 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $63,064,000 after acquiring an additional 176,576 shares in the last quarter. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ALK has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $49.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $67.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alaska Air Group

In related news, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total value of $285,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 43,335 shares in the company, valued at $2,472,695.10. This trade represents a 10.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Emily Halverson sold 2,946 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the vice president owned 8,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $423,709.02. This trade represents a 26.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,460 shares of company stock worth $1,182,553 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 8.0%

ALK opened at $59.3020 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average is $52.22 and its 200-day moving average is $53.84. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $34.60 and a 1-year high of $78.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.11, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.45.

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

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.

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