Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 23rd, 2026

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK – Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

ALK has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Susquehanna dropped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $43.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Barclays set a $52.00 target price on Alaska Air Group and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $51.00 price target (down from $54.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $53.23.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Alaska Air Group

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ALK opened at $35.43 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.46. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $32.33 and a one year high of $60.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.95 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.10 and a beta of 1.33. The company’s fifty day moving average is $39.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.18.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.03). Alaska Air Group had a negative net margin of 2.58% and a negative return on equity of 5.42%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.05 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post -3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Andrew Harrison sold 5,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.67, for a total value of $263,251.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,528 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,267,975.76. This trade represents a 17.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Benito Minicucci purchased 25,000 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $40.06 per share, for a total transaction of $1,001,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 256,582 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,278,674.92. This represents a 10.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 214.4% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 12,400 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $480,000 after acquiring an additional 8,456 shares during the last quarter. Credit Capital Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. Credit Capital Investments LLC now owns 20,000 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $774,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the period. U S Global Investors Inc. lifted its position in Alaska Air Group by 13.9% in the 3rd quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 728,679 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,200,000 after purchasing an additional 88,966 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Alaska Air Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in Alaska Air Group by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 7,979 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alaska Air Group News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Alaska Air reported strong revenue momentum in the third quarter, with revenue rising 14.4% year over year to approximately $4.31 billion. Premium traffic increased 24.5%, while diversified revenue streams reached 54% of the total mix, helping reduce the company’s reliance on traditional passenger fares. Alaska Air: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
Positive Sentiment: Strong yields and revenue growth supported better-than-expected underlying third-quarter earnings in some analyst assessments, indicating that pricing power and demand remain favorable. ALK Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong Yields Despite Fuel Pressure
Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan and Susquehanna both reduced their price targets, to $74 and $43, respectively, but maintained bullish ratings of “overweight” and “positive.” The target cuts reflect lower near-term expectations rather than a shift to a bearish outlook.
Negative Sentiment: Fuel inflation is the primary concern. Higher fuel expenses squeezed third-quarter profitability and are expected to weigh more heavily in the fourth quarter, overshadowing the company’s traffic and revenue gains. Alaska Air Group Stock Slides As Q3 Results Deepen Fuel Fears
Negative Sentiment: Alaska Air guided to a fourth-quarter 2026 loss of $2.50 to $2.00 per share, substantially worse than the $1.14 loss analysts expected. Third-quarter EPS also came in slightly below the consensus estimate in the company’s reported results, reinforcing concerns about margin pressure. Alaska Air Group Fourth-Quarter Guidance

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Alaska Air Group, Inc is an airline holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Its principal subsidiaries include Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which operate under separate brands while serving passengers throughout North America, the Pacific and other international markets.

Alaska Airlines provides scheduled passenger and air cargo services across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas, with a strong presence on the U.S. West Coast and in Alaska.