BMO Capital Markets Upgrades Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) to “Strong-Buy”

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) was upgraded by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

ALK has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Zacks Research raised Alaska Air Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $63.00 price target on Alaska Air Group in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Alaska Air Group from $69.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $64.82.

Alaska Air Group Stock Down 0.5%

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $38.42 on Monday. Alaska Air Group has a twelve month low of $36.68 and a twelve month 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. The firm has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a PE ratio of 44.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $49.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.82.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share (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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.97 EPS. The company’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. On average, research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Alaska Air Group news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.81, for a total transaction of $794,745.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at $1,106,887.95. This trade represents a 41.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total value of $1,371,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,478,995.55. This represents a 35.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 56,945 shares of company stock valued at $3,204,569 over the last three months. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. MAI Capital Management lifted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 80.5% in the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 628 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the third quarter worth $34,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 242.5% during the 4th 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 during the period. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Alaska Air Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage with an “outperform” and $50 price target, signaling fresh institutional conviction and roughly a mid-teens-to-30% upside versus current levels — a clear supportive catalyst for the shares. BMO sees long-term upside on Alaska Air
• Positive Sentiment: Company held its Q1 guidance and said demand remains strong while exploring a Singapore fuel plan to cut costs — operational stability and explicit cost actions are constructive for margins and forward earnings visibility. Alaska Air Group Holds Q1 Guide…
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS trimmed its price target from $60 to $53 but kept a “buy” rating — still implying upside but the cut reflects more cautious near-term expectations. UBS lowers price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and analyst pieces are questioning whether the recent share-price slump warrants a reassessment of ALK — useful for investors doing a valuation check but not an immediate directional driver. Is It Time To Reassess Alaska Air Group
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~32.4% in March to ~12.93M shares (about 11.4% of shares), raising downward pressure and signaling increased bearish positioning that can amplify selling or volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed a sharp increase in put buying (about 5,693 puts), suggesting traders are positioning for further downside or hedging — a near-term bearish signal.
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target to $51, lowering a previously higher expectation and adding to mixed analyst tone; multiple target trims can weigh on sentiment even if targets remain above the current price. Citigroup Cuts Alaska Air Group Price Target

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.