The Goldman Sachs Group Cuts Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Price Target to $61.00

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) had its price target decreased by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $68.00 to $61.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 59.81% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on ALK. Susquehanna increased their target price 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. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 price target (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Monday, January 12th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Alaska Air Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $63.67.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of Alaska Air Group stock traded up $1.39 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $38.17. 2,564,831 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,175,747. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.97, a PEG ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.17. Alaska Air Group has a 12-month low of $33.03 and a 12-month high of $65.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.90.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 the consensus estimate of $3.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.97 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In related news, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.02, for a total value of $176,758.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,977 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,259,039.54. This trade represents a 12.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.81, for a total transaction of $794,745.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,106,887.95. This represents a 41.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 86.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 3,175,350 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $159,720,000 after purchasing an additional 1,475,350 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 19,661.8% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,235,901 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $62,166,000 after purchasing an additional 1,229,647 shares in the last quarter. Jain Global LLC bought a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter worth about $53,683,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 1,563.7% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,092,368 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $54,378,000 after purchasing an additional 1,026,710 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,583,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.