Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Stock Position Increased by Ieq Capital LLC

Ieq Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 227.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,967 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 45,836 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Alaska Air Group worth $4,271,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 44.8% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 588 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 86.0% during the 3rd 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. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $52,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in Alaska Air Group by 259.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,175 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 848 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Shares of ALK opened at $69.97 on Friday. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a one year low of $32.62 and a one year high of $78.08. The company has a 50-day moving average of $69.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.30. The stock has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.94, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.61 and a quick ratio of 0.58.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on ALK. Morgan Stanley raised their target price 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. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Melius raised shares of Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $58.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Melius Research raised shares of Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Alaska Air Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $76.69.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 13,880 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.01, for a total transaction of $888,458.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,321,038.38. This trade represents a 40.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.56, for a total transaction of $317,800.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 27,362 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,739,128.72. This represents a 15.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 182,598 shares of company stock worth $12,912,156. 0.68% of the stock is owned by company 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.