Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK) has received a Buy recommendation from UBS, with a price target of $72.00. UBS believes that Alaska Air's revenue growth will be driven by an increase in premium revenue, synergies from the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, and a trend of capacity reduction in the industry. Analysts expect these factors to improve Alaska Air's financial performance in the future.
Despite being smaller than its competitors, Alaska Air has a strong long-haul network in the western United States and a robust premium service offering. The airline has also indicated that it may exceed its synergy target from the Hawaiian Airlines acquisition. UBS analysts project a significant earnings per share (EPS) growth for Alaska Air by 2026. The airline has reported positive financial results, with a GAAP net income of $220 million and an adjusted net income of $327 million for the third quarter.
Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Melius Research, and TD Cowen have varying opinions on the stock, reflecting mixed sentiment. Alaska Air has made leadership changes to support its growth and customer experience goals. The airline's market capitalization is $6.78 billion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.95. Its revenue for the trailing twelve months through Q3 2024 was $10.75 billion, with a quarterly revenue growth of 8.21% in Q3 2024. InvestingPro's findings support the positive outlook on Alaska Air, noting its low P/E ratio compared to its earnings growth.
The stock has performed well, with a price return of 51.47% over the past three months. Alaska Air's strategic initiatives and financial performance will continue to be closely monitored by investors and analysts.