UBS Group AG Sells 1,012,077 Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. $ALK

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its stake in Alaska Air by 49.2%, selling 1,012,077 shares in the quarter and now holds 1,046,061 shares valued at about $52.6 million.
• Alaska Air missed quarterly EPS (reported -$1.68 vs. -$1.61 expected) and issued weak Q2 guidance of -$1.00 per share, while analysts' average forecast for the fiscal year is around -$0.22.
• Insiders have sold recently (56,945 shares worth ~$3.2M over 90 days) amid mixed market views — institutional ownership is high (~81.9%) and the consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $61.85, though some firms have downgraded the stock.

UBS Group AG decreased its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) by 49.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,046,061 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 1,012,077 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned about 0.90% of Alaska Air Group worth $52,617,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 1,563.7% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,092,368 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $54,378,000 after purchasing an additional 1,026,710 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth about $48,583,000. Generate Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $40,240,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,962,620 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $149,020,000 after purchasing an additional 588,119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 129.4% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 820,296 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $40,834,000 after purchasing an additional 462,776 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $38.47 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.03 and a 12-month high of $65.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.58 and a beta of 1.25.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 20th. The transportation company reported ($1.68) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.61) by ($0.07). Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.51% and a return on equity of 4.96%. The business had revenue of $3.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.77) earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Alaska Air Group has set its Q2 2026 guidance at -1.000--1.000 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post -0.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total transaction of $311,465.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,828 shares in the company, valued at $1,745,789.64. The trade was a 15.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total transaction of $1,371,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 43,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,478,995.55. The trade was a 35.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569 over the last 90 days. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Alaska Air Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Alaska Air Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised long‑range/late‑cycle estimates — including FY2028 to $9.61 (from $9.18) and bumps to several 2027/2028 quarter forecasts — which suggests the research team still models a substantial recovery in later years that could support upside if execution and demand improve.
• Neutral Sentiment: The market consensus full‑year EPS remains around ($0.22), so while Zacks’ internal path for near‑term years changed dramatically, aggregate street expectations have not been fully re‑priced higher or lower yet.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks sharply cut near‑term guidance: Q2 2026 to ($1.00) (from $1.84), Q3 2026 to $0.36 (from $1.46), Q4 2026 to ($0.42) (from $1.39) and slashed FY2026 to ($2.73) (from $3.07). The firm also trimmed FY2027 and several 2027 quarter forecasts while maintaining a "Strong Sell" rating — moves that directly pressure the stock by lowering expected earnings and raising investor uncertainty.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader industry cost pressure: jet fuel prices have surged amid geopolitical tensions (Iran conflict), increasing airline operating costs and prompting capacity cuts industry‑wide. That dynamic raises the risk of margin compression for Alaska Air even if demand holds. Jet Fuel Prices Are Soaring. Airlines and Travelers Will Feel It. — Barron’s

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ALK. Citigroup downgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating and cut their price target for the company from $51.00 to $32.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $54.00 price target (up from $53.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $68.00 to $61.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $61.85.

About Alaska Air Group

Alaska Air Group is a publicly traded holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, that operates two main airlines—Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Through these carriers, the company offers scheduled passenger and cargo services across a network spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its core business activities include domestic and international air transportation, loyalty program management under the Mileage Plan brand, and ancillary revenue streams such as baggage fees, in-flight sales and code-share partnerships with other global airlines.

The roots of Alaska Air Group trace back to the foundation of its flagship carrier, Alaska Airlines, in 1932.

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