What is Zacks Research’s Estimate for ALK Q1 Earnings?

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) – Research analysts at Zacks Research issued their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Alaska Air Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, April 8th. Zacks Research analyst Team expects that the transportation company will earn ($1.61) per share for the quarter. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Alaska Air Group’s current full-year earnings is $6.03 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Alaska Air Group’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.84 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.46 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.07 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.74 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.69 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.93 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.24 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $6.61 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at ($0.53) EPS.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.64 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.70% and a return on equity of 7.22%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $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.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on ALK. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $70.00 target price (up from $60.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group dropped their target price 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 upped their target price 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. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $63.67.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of ALK stock opened at $39.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 1.27. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $46.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.97. Alaska Air Group has a one year low of $33.03 and a one year high of $65.88.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kyle B. Levine sold 2,945 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.02, for a total transaction of $176,758.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,259,039.54. This trade represents a 12.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Andrew R. Harrison sold 14,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.81, for a total transaction of $794,745.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,106,887.95. This represents a 41.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 56,945 shares of company stock worth $3,204,569. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ALK. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 2,046.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 96,932 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $6,276,000 after purchasing an additional 92,416 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 60.2% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,423 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 2,414 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 81.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 340,258 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $16,747,000 after purchasing an additional 152,953 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,318,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 2.7% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 357,520 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $17,690,000 after purchasing an additional 9,307 shares in the last quarter. 81.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Alaska Air Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alaska Airlines renewed a high‑visibility marketing push as the official airline partner of Coachella and Stagecoach — a demand/brand-strengthening activation that could support bookings in peak April travel to Palm Springs. Alaska Airlines Coachella Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks issued several upward revisions to ALK’s mid‑to‑late‑2026 and FY2027/FY2028 estimates (Q2–Q4 2026/2027 and FY2027/FY2028), implying stronger recovery in later quarters and higher long‑run EPS expectations — a potential positive for sentiment if fundamentals follow. (Estimates cited in Zacks research releases)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is mixed: a Zacks piece highlights Wall Street bulls’ optimism on ALK (discusses analyst views and whether to buy). Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic
• Negative Sentiment: Alaska Air sharply lowered its Q1 2026 EPS guidance to a range of -2.00 to -1.50, well below consensus (around -0.94) — a material near‑term earnings miss that increases execution risk and downward pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded ALK from “Hold” to “Strong Sell” and cut several near‑term estimates (notably Q1 2026 and Q3 2026), and also cut Q1 2028 to a loss. The downgrade plus multiple estimate cuts amplify negative sentiment; Zacks’ coverage also includes the “avoid” commentary on fuel costs, weak demand and estimate cuts. Zacks Downgrade / Read More
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Zacks analysis flagged higher fuel costs and weaker demand in key markets as headwinds — factors that help explain the guidance cut and are likely to keep near‑term volatility elevated. Why Investors Should Avoid ALK

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.