Analysts Set Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Price Target at $77.00

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) has been given an average rating of “Buy” by the thirteen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $77.00.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ALK. Susquehanna upgraded Alaska Air Group from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and set a $95.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $87.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Andrea L. Schneider sold 1,830 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.32, for a total transaction of $134,175.60. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 20,286 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,487,369.52. This trade represents a 8.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 22,893 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.74, for a total transaction of $1,733,915.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 31,873 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,414,061.02. This trade represents a 41.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 154,725 shares of company stock worth $11,217,263. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ALK. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 49,905 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,231,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 29,816 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,931,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 6,284 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $407,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 19,229 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,245,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

ALK opened at $52.58 on Tuesday. Alaska Air Group has a fifty-two week low of $32.62 and a fifty-two week high of $78.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $66.39 and a 200 day moving average of $57.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.24, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.50.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.52. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 14.66%. On average, research analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

Alaska Air Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates airlines. It operates through three segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The company offers scheduled air transportation services on Boeing jet aircraft for passengers and cargo in the United States, and in parts of Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, and the Bahamas; and for passengers across a shorter distance network within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.