Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky Grows Stake in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 62.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,895 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 26,800 shares during the quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky owned 0.06% of Alaska Air Group worth $3,440,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 125.7% during the 1st quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 677 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 377 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 459.1% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,297 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $76,000. Finally, Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $101,000. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of ALK opened at $53.22 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.56. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $32.62 and a 1 year high of $78.08. The company's fifty day moving average is $50.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.29.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported ($0.77) earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $3.19 billion. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 15.01% and a net margin of 2.86%. The company's revenue was up 40.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.92) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Emily Halverson sold 2,946 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.34, for a total transaction of $151,247.64. Following the sale, the vice president owned 8,253 shares in the company, valued at $423,709.02. This trade represents a 26.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.51, for a total value of $401,325.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 26,530 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,419,620.30. This trade represents a 22.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 10,479 shares of company stock valued at $554,228. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on ALK. Barclays increased their target price on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. UBS Group started coverage on Alaska Air Group in a report on Monday, July 7th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen raised their target price on Alaska Air Group from $54.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on Alaska Air Group from $95.00 to $55.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ALK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.