This Insider Has Just Sold Shares In Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

We'd be surprised if Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) shareholders haven't noticed that an insider, Andrew Harrison, recently sold US$357k worth of stock at US$57.50 per share. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 29% in their holding.

See our latest analysis for Alaska Air Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Alaska Air Group

In fact, the recent sale by Andrew Harrison was the biggest sale of Alaska Air Group shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$57.36. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 1.85k shares worth US$70k. But insiders sold 14.04k shares worth US$649k. In total, Alaska Air Group insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. They sold for an average price of about US$46.21. It's not particularly great to see insiders were selling shares at below recent prices. Of course, the sales could be motivated for a multitude of reasons, so we shouldn't jump to conclusions. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

I will like Alaska Air Group better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership of Alaska Air Group

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Alaska Air Group insiders own 0.4% of the company, worth about US$28m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Alaska Air Group Insiders?

Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of Alaska Air Group stock, than buying, in the last three months. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We're in no rush to buy! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Alaska Air Group. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Alaska Air Group (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.

Of course Alaska Air Group may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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