HighTower Advisors LLC Has $827,000 Stock Holdings in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) by 20.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,773 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 2,186 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $827,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in 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 worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new position in shares of Alaska Air Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the third quarter worth $52,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Alaska Air Group during the fourth quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its position in Alaska Air Group by 259.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,175 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 848 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ALK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Bank of America increased their target price on Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on Alaska Air Group from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $70.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.00.

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

NYSE ALK opened at $52.58 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a PE ratio of 17.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $66.39 and a 200-day moving average of $57.35. 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 quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.97 earnings per share (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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

In other Alaska Air Group news, CFO Shane R. Tackett sold 22,893 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 31,873 shares in the company, valued at $2,414,061.02. The trade was a 41.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 9,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $677,976. The trade was a 49.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 154,725 shares of company stock worth $11,217,263 in the last ninety days. 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.