Wall Street Zen Downgrades Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) to Strong Sell

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) from a "sell" to a "strong sell" in a report issued Tuesday.
• Despite that downgrade, the analyst consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" with a $63.67 average target, while shares opened at $39.99—well below the 12‑month high of $65.88 and suggesting a sizable gap to analyst targets.
• Company guidance shows Q1 2026 EPS of -1.50 to -0.50 and FY2026 EPS of 3.50–6.50; insiders sold about 56,945 shares (~$3.2M) last quarter, and institutional investors own roughly 81.9% of the stock.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $69.00 to $51.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $68.00 to $61.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $63.67.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of ALK opened at $39.99 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.53 billion, a PE ratio of 45.97, a PEG ratio of 5.75 and a beta of 1.27. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $45.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.80. 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 has a twelve month low of $33.03 and a twelve month high of $65.88.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. As a group, research analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,977 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,259,039.54. The trade was a 12.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,377 shares in the company, valued at $2,478,995.55. This trade represents a 35.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 56,945 shares of company stock valued at $3,204,569. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ALK. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth $28,000. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth $34,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 242.5% during the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 685 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 43.2% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 838 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company's stock.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

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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