Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, UBS Group set a $77.00 target price on Alaska Air Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.80.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of ALK stock opened at $50.88 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $47.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $50.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a PE ratio of 58.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.22. Alaska Air Group has a 52-week low of $37.63 and a 52-week high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $3.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.64 billion. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 7.22% and a net margin of 0.70%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.97 EPS. 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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ALK. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth $28,000. MAI Capital Management increased its position 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 valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 43.2% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 838 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Country Trust Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS beat expectations (adjusted $0.43 vs. consensus $0.11), providing an upside surprise that likely supported the rally. Alaska Air Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management issued FY2026 EPS guidance of $3.50–$6.50 and said momentum is accelerating (integration with Hawaiian Airlines cited), which gives investors a multi‑quarter thesis for earnings improvement. Alaska Air Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Company and analysts are pointing to a pickup in bookings late in Q4 and management expects a “meaningful” improvement in 2026 EPS, reinforcing forward optimism. Alaska Air expects ‘meaningful’ improvement in 2026 EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue grew modestly (about 2.8% y/y to $3.63B) but came in roughly flat to slightly below some estimates — a mixed top‑line print that tempers the EPS beat. Earnings snapshot / conference call
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term guidance disappointed: Q1 2026 EPS was guided to -$1.50 to -$0.50 (worse than consensus), which is a short‑term drag and heightens execution risk. Alaska Air Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Negative Sentiment: CEO flagged operational risks from a major winter storm that could disrupt flights and add costs — a near‑term catalyst for volatility in revenue and margins. Alaska Airlines CEO on potential impact to flights from massive winter storm
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned of fuel/refinery risks in California that could increase costs or constrain operations, a material input‑cost risk for airlines. Alaska Airlines CEO: California refineries are a big risk for us going forward
• Negative Sentiment: Detailed quarter metrics show steep year‑over‑year declines in profitability and cash balances, higher cost of sales and rising capex/liabilities — longer‑term fundamentals that could limit upside until margins recover. Q4 results: modest revenue growth, EPS beats but profitability slumps

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.