Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Upgraded at BMO Capital Markets

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

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Susquehanna upped their price target on Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $69.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Zacks Research raised Alaska Air Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 target price (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.82.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

ALK stock opened at $38.42 on Monday. The company 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 company has a fifty day moving average price of $49.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $48.82. 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.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued 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 company had revenue of $3.63 billion for 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 for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total value of $311,465.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,745,789.64. This trade represents a 15.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $1,259,039.54. This represents a 12.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. MAI Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 80.5% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 628 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake 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 worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Alaska Air Group News

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.