American Century Companies Inc. Sells 648,955 Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

American Century Companies Inc. lowered its position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 17.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,176,981 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 648,955 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 2.50% of Alaska Air Group worth $205,710,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the fourth quarter worth about $52,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 61.6% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 955 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services bought a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the third quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the third quarter worth about $52,000. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on ALK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $87.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Susquehanna raised shares of 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. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $77.00.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

NYSE ALK opened at $52.75 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $67.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $57.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $32.62 and a 12-month high of $78.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.30, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.50.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last released 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%. Analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Alaska Air Group news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 6,600 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.28, for a total value of $503,448.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 34,030 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,595,808.40. The trade was a 16.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 9,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.90, for a total transaction of $654,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 9,840 shares in the company, valued at $677,976. This trade represents a 49.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 154,725 shares of company stock valued at $11,217,263. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Alaska Air Group 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.