Susquehanna Lowers Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Price Target to $50.00

Key Points

• Susquehanna cut its price target on Alaska Air Group to $50 (from $55) while keeping a "positive" rating, implying about a 24% upside from the recent close.
• Alaska Air missed Q1 EPS (-$1.68 vs. -$1.61 est.), set Q2 guidance at -1.00 EPS, and warned of roughly a $600M jet‑fuel hit that prompted management to withdraw full‑year guidance and spurred the stock sell‑off.
• Analyst consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $63.31 and most analysts rated Buy, even as insiders sold shares recently and institutional ownership sits around 82%.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) had its price objective lowered by analysts at Susquehanna from $55.00 to $50.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "positive" rating on the transportation company's stock. Susquehanna's price target indicates a potential upside of 24.13% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $63.00 price target on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Evercore set a $60.00 target price on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Friday. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $54.00 price objective (up from $53.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $68.00 to $61.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.31.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ALK traded down $1.17 on Wednesday, hitting $40.28. 2,384,217 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,352,745. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.00, a PEG ratio of 6.33 and a beta of 1.27. The company's 50 day moving average price is $43.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.51. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $33.03 and a one year high of $65.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.50.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 20th. The transportation company reported ($1.68) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.61) by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $3.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.51% and a return on equity of 4.86%. The business's revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.77) EPS. Alaska Air Group has set its Q2 2026 guidance at -1.000--1.000 EPS. Research analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 0.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alaska Air Group

In other Alaska Air Group news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total value 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. This trade represents a 15.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.02, for a total transaction of $176,758.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,977 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,259,039.54. This represents a 12.31% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569 over the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ALK. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 2,046.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 96,932 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,276,000 after acquiring an additional 92,416 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 60.2% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,423 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 2,414 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 81.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 340,258 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $16,747,000 after acquiring an additional 152,953 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Alaska Air Group during the first quarter worth about $1,318,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 2.7% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 357,520 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $17,690,000 after acquiring an additional 9,307 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alaska Air Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded Bank of America credit‑card partnership could drive higher loyalty revenue and improve Atmos Rewards economics over time, supporting ancillary revenue growth. Alaska Air Group and Bank of America Expand Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Operational wins: management highlighted industry‑leading on‑time performance, premium revenue up ~8% YoY, and completion of >90% of premium fleet retrofits ahead of summer — supports revenue mix and customer retention. Alaska Air Group reports first quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains strongly bullish (unanimous Buy/Strong Buy coverage across recent polls), which can provide support for the stock once macro headwinds ease. Every Wall Street Analyst Says Buy Alaska Air
• Neutral Sentiment: Management says underlying demand remains strong despite weather and fuel challenges — a positive demand signal, but offset by cost pressure from fuel. Alaska Air points to strong underlying demand
• Negative Sentiment: Material near‑term fuel shock — CEO Ben Minicucci said surging jet‑fuel costs tied to the Iran war will hit results, with management estimating roughly a $600M headwind in Q2 alone; the company withdrew full‑year guidance. That sudden cost shock is the primary driver of today's sell‑off. Alaska Air CEO on jet fuel prices: $600M impact in Q2
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results: EPS missed (loss of $1.68 vs. est. -$1.61), revenue roughly in line but margins compressed (big jump in cost of sales and lower gross profit). Company set Q2 EPS guidance at -1.00, well below consensus, increasing near‑term downside risk to earnings. Alaska Air Q1 2026 results / slide deck
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and wider concerns: coverage noted the stock fell after the print, analysts are re‑running models given fuel uncertainty, and some data providers flagged insider sales — all of which can amplify volatility near term. ALK Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings

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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