Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at BMO Capital Markets

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

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on ALK. Zacks Research raised shares of Alaska Air Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price objective (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America upped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on Alaska Air Group from $69.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.82.

Alaska Air Group Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE ALK opened at $38.42 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.50. Alaska Air Group has a 52 week low of $36.68 and a 52 week high of $65.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.16, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.17. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $49.22 and its 200 day moving average is $48.82.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.32. The business had revenue of $3.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.64 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.70% and a return on equity of 7.22%. Alaska Air Group’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 earnings per share. 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. Sell-side analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the 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 owned 20,977 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,259,039.54. This represents a 12.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total transaction of $1,371,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 43,377 shares in the company, 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 sold a total of 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569 in the last three months. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. MAI Capital Management grew its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 80.5% during the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 628 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 242.5% in the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 685 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

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

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.