Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Position Raised by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 1,155.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 58,671 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 53,997 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $3,799,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 86.0% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 952.4% during the third quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 1,105 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $52,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 259.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,175 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 848 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Alaska Air Group from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $58.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Melius raised Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.86.

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE ALK opened at $69.90 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.35. The company has a market cap of $8.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.54. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $32.62 and a 12 month high of $71.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.52. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 14.78%. Sell-side analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Alaska Air Group news, CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 2,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.38, for a total transaction of $149,683.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,340 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,245,109.20. This trade represents a 10.73 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Emily Halverson sold 1,329 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.41, for a total value of $85,600.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 7,150 shares in the company, valued at $460,531.50. This represents a 15.67 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 34,473 shares of company stock worth $2,198,342. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

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.