Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) CEO Joseph A. Sprague Sells 9,500 Shares of Stock

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 9,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.90, for a total value of $654,550.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 9,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $677,976. This trade represents a 49.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

NYSE ALK opened at $70.52 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.12, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.57. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $32.62 and a 1-year high of $71.70. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $62.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.66.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 14.78% and a net margin of 3.37%. Sell-side analysts expect that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ALK. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Melius Research raised Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Melius upgraded Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.86.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake 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 period. Pacifica Partners Inc. boosted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $52,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

About Alaska Air Group

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.