Investors Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK)

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 5th, 2026

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Investors purchased 12,090 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 107% compared to the average daily volume of 5,835 call options.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ALK traded up $0.45 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $53.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 448,290 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,859,383. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.55. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $47.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -33.76 and a beta of 1.29. Alaska Air Group has a fifty-two week low of $33.03 and a fifty-two week high of $65.88.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The transportation company reported ($0.92) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.99) by $0.07. Alaska Air Group had a negative return on equity of 3.11% and a negative net margin of 1.19%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.42 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Alaska Air Group has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.000-1.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group will post -0.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In related news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,300 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.67, for a total transaction of $263,251.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,528 shares of the company’s stock, 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ALK. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in Alaska Air Group by 242.5% during the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 685 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Compound Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 963.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 840 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 761 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 30.4% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 910 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ALK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup cut their price target on Alaska Air Group from $47.00 to $37.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $62.00 price target (up from $56.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Bank of America increased their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Alaska Air Group from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $69.00 target price (up from $58.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.65.

View Our Latest Research Report on ALK

About Alaska Air Group

(Get Free Report)

Alaska Air Group is a publicly traded holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, that operates two main airlines—Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Through these carriers, the company offers scheduled passenger and cargo services across a network spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its core business activities include domestic and international air transportation, loyalty program management under the Mileage Plan brand, and ancillary revenue streams such as baggage fees, in-flight sales and code-share partnerships with other global airlines.

The roots of Alaska Air Group trace back to the foundation of its flagship carrier, Alaska Airlines, in 1932.