Wall Street Zen Upgrades Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) to Hold

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group set a $77.00 price target on Alaska Air Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $69.00 price objective (up previously from $61.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.80.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $50.88 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $50.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The company has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a PE ratio of 58.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.22. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $37.63 and a one year high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.32. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 7.26% and a net margin of 0.70%.The firm had revenue of $3.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Alaska Air Group has set its Q1 2026 guidance at -1.500–0.500 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.500-6.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 16.7% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 5,231 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 748 shares during the last quarter. Sunpointe LLC bought a new position in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth about $641,000. tru Independence LLC grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. tru Independence LLC now owns 102,001 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,131,000 after buying an additional 4,290 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,962,620 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $149,020,000 after buying an additional 588,119 shares during the period. Finally, Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $206,000. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

More Alaska Air Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS beat expectations (adjusted $0.43 vs. consensus $0.11), providing an upside surprise that likely supported the rally. Alaska Air Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management issued FY2026 EPS guidance of $3.50–$6.50 and said momentum is accelerating (integration with Hawaiian Airlines cited), which gives investors a multi‑quarter thesis for earnings improvement. Alaska Air Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Company and analysts are pointing to a pickup in bookings late in Q4 and management expects a “meaningful” improvement in 2026 EPS, reinforcing forward optimism. Alaska Air expects ‘meaningful’ improvement in 2026 EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue grew modestly (about 2.8% y/y to $3.63B) but came in roughly flat to slightly below some estimates — a mixed top‑line print that tempers the EPS beat. Earnings snapshot / conference call
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term guidance disappointed: Q1 2026 EPS was guided to -$1.50 to -$0.50 (worse than consensus), which is a short‑term drag and heightens execution risk. Alaska Air Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Negative Sentiment: CEO flagged operational risks from a major winter storm that could disrupt flights and add costs — a near‑term catalyst for volatility in revenue and margins. Alaska Airlines CEO on potential impact to flights from massive winter storm
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned of fuel/refinery risks in California that could increase costs or constrain operations, a material input‑cost risk for airlines. Alaska Airlines CEO: California refineries are a big risk for us going forward
• Negative Sentiment: Detailed quarter metrics show steep year‑over‑year declines in profitability and cash balances, higher cost of sales and rising capex/liabilities — longer‑term fundamentals that could limit upside until margins recover. Q4 results: modest revenue growth, EPS beats but profitability slumps

About Alaska Air Group

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.