Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Given New $50.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Jul 1st, 2026

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV – Get Free Report) had its price target raised by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $44.00 to $50.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the airline’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would suggest a potential downside of 3.34% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Southwest Airlines from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $57.50 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $53.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $47.20.

View Our Latest Report on LUV

Southwest Airlines Trading Up 0.6%

LUV opened at $51.73 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $25.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.37, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company’s 50 day moving average is $42.76 and its 200-day moving average is $43.40. Southwest Airlines has a 1-year low of $28.98 and a 1-year high of $55.11.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The airline reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.83% and a return on equity of 10.66%. The business had revenue of $7.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.13) EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Southwest Airlines has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.350-0.650 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Southwest Airlines will post 2.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Southwest Airlines

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LUV. MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Southwest Airlines by 28.5% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 915 shares of the airline’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors lifted its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 21,148 shares of the airline’s stock worth $843,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,063 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 16,437 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Transcend Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,726 shares of the airline’s stock worth $278,000 after buying an additional 272 shares during the period. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Southwest Airlines

(Get Free Report)

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.