Short Interest in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Increases By 32.4%

Key Points

• Short interest rose 32.4% to 12,931,257 shares as of March 13, equal to about 11.4% of the stock and a days-to-cover ratio of 2.4.
• Insiders sold stock in February (EVP Andrew Harrison and CFO Shane R. Tackett), with 56,945 shares sold over the last 90 days and insiders now owning just 0.92% of the company.
• Wall Street consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $64.82, yet shares recently traded around $36.21 and analyst targets range roughly from $54 to $70.

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 12,931,257 shares, an increase of 32.4% from the February 26th total of 9,768,597 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,438,183 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days. Currently, 11.4% of the company's stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ALK has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $70.00 price target (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research raised Alaska Air Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Susquehanna raised their target price on Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Alaska Air Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday. Finally, TD Cowen lowered 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 research report on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $64.82.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.81, for a total transaction of $794,745.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,106,887.95. This represents a 41.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total transaction of $1,371,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 56,945 shares of company stock valued at $3,204,569. Insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its position in Alaska Air Group by 40.1% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 173,610 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $8,642,000 after acquiring an additional 49,663 shares during the period. CM Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,244,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 29.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 206,172 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $10,263,000 after purchasing an additional 46,445 shares in the last quarter. Arista Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth approximately $417,000. Finally, Generate Investment Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,240,000. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of ALK traded down $2.74 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $36.21. 4,965,480 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,194,779. Alaska Air Group has a twelve month low of $35.89 and a twelve month high of $65.88. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $48.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.16.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.32. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.70% and a return on equity of 7.22%. The business had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.97 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Alaska Air Group has set its Q1 2026 guidance at -1.500--0.500 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.500-6.500 EPS. Analysts predict that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

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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