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Alaska Air Group ALK

Alaska Air Group scores weak on business quality (4.0 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.

Last price$39.36Oct 9, 2026
Business qualityWeak
Next earningsOct 20, 2026
Insiders, 90 daysBuying

Why it matters

  1. What Alaska Air Group does

    Alaska Air Group operates passenger and cargo air transportation services across domestic and regional routes, collecting ticket and baggage fees from travelers. The airline is scaling its route network and fleet integration to capture demand while absorbing fuel price volatility.

  2. What it does best

    Alaska Air generates top decile revenue growth of 21.3% compared to its sector, outpacing peers like Delta at 2.8%. This top-line expansion relies on regional density that is difficult for new entrants to match without massive capital outlays.

  3. The main risk

    Fuel cost volatility and integration friction dominate the threat landscape, weighing on margins as net income sits at -$175 million. Rising jet fuel expenses directly squeeze profitability since ticket pricing lacks instantaneous flexibility.

Quality, check by check

Scored against its own industry, from company filings.

ProfitabilityWeak

Operating margin of -0.3% and FCF margin of -2.4% compress further as high capital intensity outstrips earnings, showing scaling currently destroys cash.

MoatWeak

Network breadth locks in regional travelers, backed by a gross margin of 51.0% that ranks in the top quartile of its sector, though fierce competition limits pricing power.

GrowthFast

Revenue surged to $14.8B driven by a 21.3% growth rate, placing revenue growth in the top decile of its sector and accelerating well past historical baselines.

Financial healthWeak

Debt-to-equity of 1.3x and negative free cash flow of -$350 million leave the balance sheet softening under heavy capital expenditures of $1.4B.

Insiders

Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.

1 insider bought $1.0M on the open market. 1 sold $263K outside pre-planned sales.

Our sealed record on ALK

Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.

The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.

Questions

Is ALK a good business?

Alaska Air Group scores weak on the Cluenex quality check (4.0 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is weak, moat weak, growth fast and financial health weak.

Are insiders buying ALK?

In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: 1 insider bought $1.0M on the open market. 1 sold $263K outside pre-planned sales.

When does ALK report earnings?

Oct 20, 2026.

For members

See ALK today

  • Today's verdict on ALK, and why
  • Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
  • The exact price that would change the verdict
  • Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
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Cite this page: Cluenex, “Alaska Air Group (ALK)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/alk/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.