AlphaQuest LLC Has $66,000 Stock Position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

AlphaQuest LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 93.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,024 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 14,289 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $66,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ALK. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter valued at $82,459,000. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the third quarter valued at $26,390,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 45.1% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,422,247 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $64,300,000 after buying an additional 442,331 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter valued at $24,241,000. Finally, FMR LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 32.4% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,084,639 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $49,037,000 after buying an additional 265,343 shares during the period. 81.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ALK opened at $53.96 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $68.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.80. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.62 and a twelve month high of $78.08. The company has a market cap of $6.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.69, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.52. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 14.66% and a net margin of 3.37%. Research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ALK has been the topic of several research reports. Susquehanna raised Alaska Air Group from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and set a $95.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America upped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $77.54.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In related news, CEO Joseph A. Sprague sold 9,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.90, for a total transaction of $654,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 9,840 shares in the company, valued at $677,976. This represents a 49.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 22,893 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.74, for a total value of $1,733,915.82. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 31,873 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,414,061.02. The trade was a 41.80 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 154,725 shares of company stock worth $11,217,263 in the last 90 days. 0.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Alaska Air Group Company 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.