Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Upgraded to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Alaska Air Group’s Q2 2026 earnings at ($1.00) EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.36 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.42) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($2.73) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.66 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.30 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.49 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $6.19 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.03 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.61 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $42.50 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of 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. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $61.85.

Alaska Air Group Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE ALK opened at $40.50 on Wednesday. Alaska Air Group has a twelve month low of $33.03 and a twelve month high of $65.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.43. The stock has a market cap of $4.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.41 and a beta of 1.25. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $41.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.91.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 20th. The transportation company reported ($1.68) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.61) by ($0.07). Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 4.96% and a net margin of 0.51%.The firm had revenue of $3.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.31 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.77) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. Alaska Air Group has set its Q2 2026 guidance at -1.000–1.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post -0.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In related news, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total value of $1,371,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 43,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,478,995.55. The trade was a 35.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total transaction of $311,465.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,745,789.64. The trade was a 15.14% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 46,945 shares of company stock valued at $2,654,569. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 173,610 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $8,642,000 after acquiring an additional 49,663 shares during the period. Generate Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter worth $40,240,000. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth $4,194,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 29.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 206,172 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $10,263,000 after acquiring an additional 46,445 shares during the period. Finally, CM Management LLC bought a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth $1,244,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Privium (an investment fund) disclosed a meaningful buy of about $15.97M in ALK, signaling outside investor interest in the stock. Privium Fund Buys $15.97 Million Stake in Alaska Air Amid Fuel Cost Crisis
• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Airlines announced four new nonstop routes (three from Santa Rosa and a return to Long Beach), a modest revenue/market-share positive that supports medium?term growth in California markets. California dreaming – Alaska Airlines expands route network from Santa Rosa and returns to Long Beach with connection to Seattle
• Neutral Sentiment: ALK has attracted heightened attention on investor sites (more views/interest), which can amplify volatility but is not itself a directional fundamental change. Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Alaska priced a $500M private offering of senior notes at a steep 6.5% coupon and structured a loyalty?program?backed loan — a clear sign management is prioritizing liquidity as jet fuel costs rise; higher-cost debt increases interest expense and signals near-term margin pressure. Alaska Air Prices New Notes and Loyalty-Backed Loan
• Negative Sentiment: Company launched/announced the $500M debt offering explicitly to bolster liquidity as an Iran?related spike in jet fuel prices erodes margins — industry fuel-cost risk remains elevated. Alaska Air launches $500 million debt offering as Iran war drives up fuel costs
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks Research issued large downward revisions and a “Strong Sell” stance, cutting Q2/FY2026 EPS materially (example: Q2 to roughly ($1.00) and FY2026 sharply lower), increasing downside risk to near?term expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry headwinds: major carriers have already cut many summer flights as jet fuel prices spike — a sectorwide pressure that can hit revenue and unit margins for Alaska. These airlines have cut the most flights this summer as jet fuel prices skyrocket

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.