Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) saw a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 9,027,680 shares, a growth of 21.4% from the January 15th total of 7,436,767 shares. Currently, 7.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 4,738,075 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 4,738,075 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days. Currently, 7.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ALK. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $63.00 price target on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $69.00 target price (up previously from $61.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group set a $77.00 target price on Alaska Air Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Alaska Air Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Alaska Air Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.40.

Insider Activity

In other Alaska Air Group news, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $550,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 33,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,844,150. This represents a 22.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.81, for a total value of $794,745.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,106,887.95. The trade was a 41.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 27,445 shares of company stock worth $1,521,504. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 2,046.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 96,932 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,276,000 after buying an additional 92,416 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 60.2% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,423 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 2,414 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 81.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 340,258 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $16,747,000 after purchasing an additional 152,953 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the first quarter worth $1,318,000. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 24.0% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 26,306 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,302,000 after purchasing an additional 5,084 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $55.86 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $52.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.11. 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 cap of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.21. Alaska Air Group has a 12-month low of $37.63 and a 12-month high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last released 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. The company had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.64 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.70% and a return on equity of 7.22%. The company’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $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, research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

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.