Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV Shares Sold by ING Groep NV

ING Groep NV reduced its position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 86.6% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 109,410 shares of the airline’s stock after selling 707,624 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $3,491,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Southwest Airlines in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Corsicana & Co. purchased a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the third quarter worth $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the second quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 81.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,056 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.82% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LUV shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Southwest Airlines from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $43.00 to $57.50 in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Barclays upgraded Southwest Airlines from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $34.00 to $56.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $46.92.

Southwest Airlines Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE LUV opened at $50.80 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.52. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 1 year low of $23.82 and a 1 year high of $54.70. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $43.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.21. The firm has a market cap of $24.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.48, a PEG ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.15.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The airline reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 6.18% and a net margin of 1.57%.The firm had revenue of $7.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.51 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.56 earnings per share. Southwest Airlines’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Southwest Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000- EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.450- EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 85.71%.

Key Southwest Airlines News

Here are the key news stories impacting Southwest Airlines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates across upcoming quarters and issued a “Strong‑Buy” for LUV, lifting Q3 and Q4 2027 and FY2028 EPS views — a sign analysts see stronger profitability ahead, which supports valuation and investor confidence. Zacks Research raises estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Southwest announced it will roll out SpaceX Starlink ultra‑fast WiFi across its network starting this summer — a potential revenue/differentiation boost (better passenger experience, ancillary sales) that could support yields and ancillary growth. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BRINGS STARLINK ULTRA-FAST WIFI ONBOARD
• Positive Sentiment: Third‑party analysis highlights “massive cash flow growth” versus sector peers, reinforcing the narrative that Southwest’s cash generation and operational recovery are improving relative to competitors. That supports multiple expansion if sustained. Southwest Airlines (LUV): Massive Cash Flow Growth Vs. Sector Peers
• Neutral Sentiment: Southwest announced upcoming board changes — management and the board are being reconfigured after activist involvement. Governance changes can reduce activism risk but create short‑term uncertainty until the new board is settled. Southwest Airlines Announces Upcoming Board of Directors Changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports confirm two Elliott‑appointed directors will step down — this may signal a de‑escalation with the activist, but the ultimate impact depends on who fills those seats and any remaining strategic demands. Southwest Airlines directors representing Elliott to step down
• Negative Sentiment: Halper Sadeh LLC issued a notice urging Southwest shareholders to contact the firm about potential claims — this suggests risk of shareholder litigation or investigations, which can create legal costs, distraction and negative sentiment. Halper Sadeh LLC Encourages Southwest Airlines Co. Shareholders to Contact the Firm

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.