Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) have earned an average rating of “Buy” from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $77.00.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ALK shares. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Susquehanna upgraded Alaska Air Group from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and set a $95.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Bank of America increased their price target on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

NYSE:ALK opened at $62.26 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.61. Alaska Air Group has a fifty-two week low of $32.62 and a fifty-two week high of $78.08. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $55.41. The company has a market capitalization of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 20.41, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.55.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 13,880 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.01, for a total value of $888,458.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,638 shares in the company, valued at $1,321,038.38. This trade represents a 40.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 2,325 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.38, for a total value of $149,683.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,340 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,245,109.20. The trade was a 10.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 189,198 shares of company stock valued at $13,415,604. 0.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ALK. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 61.6% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 955 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacific Center for Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Institutional investors own 81.90% 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.