Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Announces Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Alaska Air Group expects a significantly larger Q4 2026 loss, guiding for EPS of -$2.50 to -$2.00 versus the consensus estimate of -$1.14, with higher fuel costs cited as a key pressure on margins.
• Shares fell 2.3% to $33.56, near the company’s 52-week low of $33.03. The stock has also declined below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analyst sentiment remains a “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $57.38, while insider activity was mixed: CEO Benito Minicucci bought $1.0 million of shares, and an executive vice president sold 5,300 shares.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of -2.500--2.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of -1.140.

Alaska Air Group Stock Down 2.3%

NYSE ALK traded down $0.80 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $33.56. The company's stock had a trading volume of 11,456,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,657,660. Alaska Air Group has a 52 week low of $33.03 and a 52 week high of $60.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $40.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.22. The company has a market capitalization of $3.74 billion, a PE ratio of -21.37 and a beta of 1.33.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.31 billion. Alaska Air Group had a negative return on equity of 3.11% and a negative net margin of 1.19%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.05 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post -3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ALK shares. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Alaska Air Group from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on Alaska Air Group from $47.00 to $37.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $69.00 price objective (up from $58.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Alaska Air Group from $94.00 to $92.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $50.00 target price on shares of Alaska Air Group and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alaska Air Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $57.38.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alaska Air Group

In other news, CEO Benito Minicucci bought 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $40.06 per share, for a total transaction of $1,001,500.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 256,582 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,278,674.92. This trade represents a 10.80% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.67, for a total value of $263,251.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,528 shares in the company, valued at $1,267,975.76. This represents a 17.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

More Alaska Air Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue increased 14.4% year over year to approximately $4.31 billion, in line with estimates. Adjusted earnings of $0.36 per share exceeded the Zacks consensus estimate of $0.35, helped by strong yields and revenue growth. Alaska Air Group Q3 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Alaska is making progress on its diversification strategy. Diversified revenue reached 54% of the third-quarter total, while premium traffic grew 24.5% year over year. The company also announced plans to join international joint businesses with oneworld and global partners and expand Seattle service to Osaka and Papeete. Alaska Air: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ average price target is reported at $57.38, substantially above recent trading levels, but target prices are expectations rather than a near-term catalyst and may be revised following the earnings outlook. Alaska Air Group Analyst Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Alaska reported a GAAP loss of $1.32 per share, or $147 million, compared with $1.05 of earnings per share a year earlier. Although adjusted EPS was positive, it fell short of the broader analyst estimate of $0.39, highlighting weaker profitability despite higher revenue. Alaska Air Group Swings to Third-Quarter Loss
• Negative Sentiment: Surging fuel costs more than offset strong yields and double-digit revenue growth. Management’s fourth-quarter forecast calls for a larger-than-expected loss, making fuel prices and near-term margins the main risks for ALK. Alaska Air Forecasts Larger Fourth-Quarter Loss

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

Alaska Air Group, Inc is an airline holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Its principal subsidiaries include Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which operate under separate brands while serving passengers throughout North America, the Pacific and other international markets.

Alaska Airlines provides scheduled passenger and air cargo services across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas, with a strong presence on the U.S. West Coast and in Alaska.

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