Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Shares Purchased by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 172.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 15,058 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,537 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $741,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ALK. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co increased its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 125.7% in the first quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 677 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 377 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 61.6% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 955 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 364 shares during the period. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 459.1% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,297 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 1,065 shares in the last quarter. 81.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alaska Air Group Stock Down 2.4%

NYSE ALK opened at $51.66 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $50.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $56.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market cap of $6.34 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.41. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $32.62 and a 52 week high of $78.08.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported ($0.77) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.72) by ($0.05). Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 15.01% and a net margin of 2.86%. The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.19 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.92) earnings per share. Alaska Air Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 40.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alaska Air Group

In other Alaska Air Group news, VP Emily Halverson sold 2,946 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.34, for a total value of $151,247.64. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 8,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $423,709.02. This represents a 26.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.51, for a total transaction of $401,325.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 26,530 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,419,620.30. This trade represents a 22.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,479 shares of company stock valued at $554,228. 0.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on ALK. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $95.00 to $55.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. UBS Group began coverage on Alaska Air Group in a research report on Monday, July 7th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on Alaska Air Group from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $66.83.

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.