Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 54,234 shares of the airline’s stock, valued at approximately $2,789,000.
Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LUV. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 80.82% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
LUV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Southwest Airlines from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $47.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.55.
Southwest Airlines Trading Down 2.0%
Southwest Airlines stock opened at $42.50 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.79 billion, a PE ratio of 26.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.42. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 12-month low of $29.26 and a 12-month high of $55.11. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $44.66.
Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The airline reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.42. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 14.15% and a net margin of 2.78%.The company had revenue of $8.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.43 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Southwest Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.250-4.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.750 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 3.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.17%.
Southwest Airlines Profile
Southwest Airlines Co is a U.S.-based low-cost carrier that operates a point-to-point domestic and near-international airline network. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company primarily flies Boeing 737 aircraft and offers no-frills, single-class service designed to keep fares competitive. Southwest’s operating model emphasizes high aircraft utilization, quick turnaround times and an open seating policy, allowing customers to board and select seats on a first-come, first-served basis.
Founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Company, Southwest began commercial service in 1971, initially connecting Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Southwest Airlines
- The AI Boom Is Turning This Cable Maker Into a Stock to Watch
- A Star Investor Just Trimmed Amazon—Here’s What It means
- Wendy’s Deal Buzz May Give Fast-Food Investors a New Reason to Look
- Home Depot Analysts See a Path to $375 and Beyond
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LUV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
