South Dakota Investment Council Sells 177,572 Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

South Dakota Investment Council trimmed its position in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 32.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 365,771 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 177,572 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council owned approximately 0.29% of Alaska Air Group worth $23,684,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 22.6% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,144 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $86,270,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 165.7% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 19,444 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $879,000 after purchasing an additional 12,126 shares in the last quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 44,928 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,031,000 after acquiring an additional 620 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $317,000. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on ALK. Citigroup boosted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Barclays boosted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Susquehanna raised Alaska Air Group from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and set a $95.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alaska Air Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $76.69.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ALK opened at $69.97 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a PE ratio of 22.94, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $32.62 and a 1-year high of $78.08. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $69.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.43.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.52. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 14.66%. Research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In other Alaska Air Group news, COO Muehlen Constance E. Von sold 22,157 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.12, for a total value of $1,664,433.84. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 20,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,353.12. This represents a 52.53 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Emily Halverson sold 1,329 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.41, for a total transaction of $85,600.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 7,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $460,531.50. This represents a 15.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 182,598 shares of company stock worth $12,912,156 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

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.