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

Zacks Research lowered shares of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Alaska Air Group’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.39 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.18 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on ALK. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $60.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $52.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $50.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Alaska Air Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $69.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $63.67.

Alaska Air Group Stock Up 0.0%

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $39.92 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.52 billion, a PE ratio of 45.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.27. The company’s 50-day moving average is $46.25 and its 200-day moving average is $47.07. Alaska Air Group has a fifty-two week low of $33.03 and a fifty-two week high of $65.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.46.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.70% and a return on equity of 7.22%. Alaska Air Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.97 EPS. 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group 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, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 5,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total value of $311,465.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,745,789.64. The trade was a 15.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 24,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.15, for a total transaction of $1,371,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,478,995.55. This represents a 35.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 56,945 shares of company stock valued at $3,204,569 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ellis Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 40,885 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,035,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. 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. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,397 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period. Lesa Sroufe & Co boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lesa Sroufe & Co now owns 36,589 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,821,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,387 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $218,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Airlines returned as the official airline of Coachella and Stagecoach — a marketing push that highlights network strength to Palm Springs and can support bookings on festival routes. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised some long-range EPS estimates (Q4 2026 and FY2028) even while maintaining a “Strong Sell” rating — a mixed signal: improved distant-year numbers but persistent near-term skepticism. Zacks / Market commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Company and market headlines are being aggregated broadly (e.g., CNN stock pages), which can amplify volatility but add no single new catalyst. CNN: Alaska Air Group
• Negative Sentiment: ALK updated Q1 2026 EPS guidance to -2.00 to -1.50 vs. consensus of -0.94 — a material downside surprise that signals weaker near-term demand and/or higher unit costs; this is the primary driver of negative sentiment and downward pressure on the stock today.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded ALK to “Strong Sell” and added it to its Rank #5 list, citing rising fuel costs, weaker demand in key markets and estimate cuts — analyst posture now tilts bearish and can prompt selling or lower target prices. Zacks: Avoid ALK
• Negative Sentiment: Broader concerns flagged by analysts — rising fuel costs and soft demand — increase execution risk into spring; investors will watch bookings, unit revenue trends and any management commentary on capacity or fuel hedges for signs of stabilization. Zacks: Analyst coverage overview

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.