139,018 Shares in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Purchased by Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 139,018 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $6,842,000. Alaska Air Group comprises about 0.5% of Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd owned 0.11% of Alaska Air Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board purchased a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,235,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 416.3% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 30,499 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,501,000 after acquiring an additional 24,592 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew 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 acquiring an additional 713 shares during the period. KBC Group NV bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 1st quarter valued at $76,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 971,938 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $47,839,000 after acquiring an additional 79,099 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

ALK stock traded up $0.83 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $51.66. The company had a trading volume of 990,026 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,250,571. The company has a market capitalization of $6.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.41. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $32.62 and a 12-month high of $78.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $50.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.65 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 2.33% and a return on equity of 12.33%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.55 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

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 sale, the vice president directly owned 8,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $423,709.02. This represents a 26.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.51, for a total transaction of $401,325.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 26,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,419,620.30. This represents a 22.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 10,479 shares of company stock worth $554,228 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ALK shares. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of 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. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $49.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $95.00 to $55.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $54.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $67.42.

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.