Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Zacks Research lowered shares of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Alaska Air Group’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.39 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.18 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Bank of America cut their price target on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Alaska Air Group in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $50.00 price target for the company. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $71.00 price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Friday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on 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. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $63.67.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $39.84 on Tuesday. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $33.03 and a one year high of $65.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $46.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.12. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $4.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.79, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.27.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.32. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 7.22% and a net margin of 0.70%.The firm had revenue of $3.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.97 earnings per share. The business’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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the company’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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,259,039.54. This represents a 12.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,106,887.95. This trade represents a 41.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its position 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 valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position 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 valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. 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.