Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Alaska Air Group (ALK) .Alaska Air currently has an average brokerage reco ...

Alaska Air Group (ALK) is benefiting from an uptick in air travel demand (particularly on the leisure front). The upsurge in passenger volumes makes the ALK stock an attractive investment opportunity currently.Let’s delve deep to unearth the factors working in favor of this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock.Northward Earnings Estimates: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter and current-year earnings has been revised upward 25.8% and 13.8%, respectively, in the past 60 days. Such favorable estimate ...

Core Viewpoint - Alaska Air Group (ALK) shows potential as a strong investment opportunity due to significant revisions in earnings estimates, indicating a positive earnings outlook and potential stock price appreciation [1][2]. Current-Quarter Estimate Revisions - For the current quarter, Alaska Air is projected to earn $1.97 per share, reflecting a +7.65% increase from the previous year's reported figure [3]. - In the last 30 days, five analysts have raised their estimates for Alaska Air, with no negative revisions, leading to a 41.7% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate [3]. Current-Year Estimate Revisions - The earnings estimate for the full year stands at $4.62 per share, which is a +1.99% change from the prior year [4]. - Similar to the current quarter, five estimates have been revised upward for the current year, resulting in a 13.08% increase in the consensus estimate [4]. Favorable Zacks Rank - Alaska Air currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) due to the positive estimate revisions, which historically correlate with strong stock performance [5]. - Research indicates that stocks with Zacks Rank 1 and 2 significantly outperform the S&P 500 [5]. Bottom Line - Over the past four weeks, Alaska Air shares have increased by 18.2%, suggesting investor confidence in the company's earnings growth prospects [6].

Alaska Air Group (ALK) closed the last trading session at $41.69, gaining 18.2% over the past four weeks, but there could be plenty of upside left in the stock if short-term price targets set by Wall Street analysts are any guide. The mean price target of $53.90 indicates a 29.3% upside potential.The average comprises 10 short-term price targets ranging from a low of $41 to a high of $70, with a standard deviation of $8.67. While the lowest estimate indicates a decline of 1.7% from the current price level, ...

Core Viewpoint - The focus is on identifying undervalued companies through value investing strategies, utilizing metrics like P/E and PEG ratios to highlight strong investment opportunities [1] Group 1: Alaska Air Group (ALK) - Alaska Air Group (ALK) has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and an A for Value [2] - The stock is currently trading with a P/E ratio of 7.04, significantly lower than the industry average of 18.01 [2] - ALK's Forward P/E has fluctuated between 5.47 and 9.26 over the last 12 months, with a median of 7.54 [2] - The PEG ratio for ALK is 0.42, compared to the industry average of 0.99, indicating strong value [2] - ALK's PEG has ranged from 0.41 to 0.90 in the past year, with a median of 0.57 [2] Group 2: International Consolidated Airlines Group (ICAGY) - International Consolidated Airlines Group (ICAGY) also holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) with a Value score of A [2] - ICAGY is trading at a forward earnings multiple of 4.99, well below the industry average P/E of 18.01 [3] - The PEG ratio for ICAGY is 0.81, compared to the industry average of 0.99 [3] - ICAGY's price-to-earnings ratio has varied from 3.80 to 5.13, with a median of 4.30 over the past year [3] - The P/B ratio for ICAGY is 1.04, significantly lower than the industry's price-to-book ratio of 4.98 [3] - ICAGY's P/B has fluctuated between 0.78 and 1.65, with a median of 1.01 in the last 12 months [3] Group 3: Investment Outlook - Both ALK and ICAGY are highlighted as likely undervalued stocks based on their strong value grades and earnings outlook [3]

Here are five stocks added to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) List today:Cool Company Ltd. (CLCO) : This operator of LNG carriers has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 9.1% over the last 60 days.Banco de Chile (BCH) : This banking and financial products and services company has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 10.2% over the last 60 days.Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. (IDR) : This explorer and developer of gold, silver, and b ...

Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, September 24th:Pampa Energia S.A. (PAM) : This intregrated power company engaging in transmission of electricity carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 20.8% over the last 60 days.Pampa has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 6.48, compared with 20.70 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score  of A.Marubeni Corporation (MAR ...

SEATTLE, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group, Inc. (the "Company") today announced that it launched a proposed senior secured term loan facility and intends to issue additional pari passu senior secured debt (collectively, the "Mileage Plan Financing").  The aggregate principal amount of the Mileage Plan Financing is expected to be $1.5 billion.The borrower under the Mileage Plan Financing is AS Mileage Plan IP Ltd. ("Borrower"), an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the ...

Key TakeawaysAlaska Airlines said Monday that an IT issue caused a ground stop in Seattle late Sunday night, impacting the airline's website and a number of flights.The issue was resolved around 1 a.m. ET, the company said in responses to customer complaints on social media.The IT struggles of other airlines during the summer's CrowdStrike outage helped Alaska Airlines lift its revenue and profit projections earlier this month. Alaska Airlines (ALK) said an IT issue was behind an issue with its system that ...

Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers various tools to help investors make informed decisions and enhance their confidence in the stock market [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators designed to assist investors in selecting stocks likely to outperform the market within 30 days, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics [2] - The Value Score identifies attractive and discounted stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, and Price/Sales [2] - The Growth Score focuses on a company's financial strength and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [3] - The Momentum Score helps investors capitalize on price trends by evaluating one-week price changes and monthly earnings estimate changes [3] - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to identify stocks with the best value, growth potential, and momentum [4] Zacks Rank and Style Scores Interaction - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that leverages earnings estimate revisions to guide investors in building successful portfolios, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [5] - Investors are encouraged to select stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for optimal success [6] - Stocks with lower ranks but high Style Scores may still face downward earnings forecasts, increasing the risk of price declines [6] Company Spotlight: Alaska Air Group - Alaska Air Group operates two airlines, Alaska and Horizon, serving over 120 cities across North America [7] - Currently rated 3 (Hold) by Zacks, Alaska Air Group has a VGM Score of A and a Momentum Style Score of B, with shares increasing by 12% over the past four weeks [7] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 has risen by $0.44 to $4.62 per share, supported by five analysts revising their earnings estimates upwards in the last 60 days, and the company has an average earnings surprise of 21.9% [7]