Calamos Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV – Free Report) by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 318,032 shares of the airline’s stock after selling 12,915 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of Southwest Airlines worth $13,144,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.82% of the company’s stock.
Southwest Airlines News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Southwest Airlines this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target to $55 and kept an Outperform rating, citing margin strength — a bullish analyst action that likely supported the stock. Raymond James raises Southwest stock price target
- Positive Sentiment: Evercore nudged its target higher to $44, and several reports note other firms (and some analysts aggregated by Benzinga) have lifted their forecasts after Q1 — signaling improving analyst confidence in longer‑term recovery. Evercore adjusts price target
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 revenue topped estimates (record quarterly revenue reported), which investors viewed as evidence that the company’s initiatives are driving higher unit revenue. Zacks: Q1 revenue beat
- Neutral Sentiment: Q1 results were mixed: EPS roughly met consensus ($0.45) while revenue beat — a near-term neutral read that keeps investor focus on guidance and fuel trends. Q1 earnings snapshot
- Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call highlighted progress from recent initiatives but reiterated exposure to jet fuel; the transcript provides detail for investors assessing execution vs. cost risk. Earnings call transcript
- Negative Sentiment: Southwest set Q2 adjusted EPS guidance with a midpoint below Street estimates and said updating FY guidance wouldn’t be productive amid macro uncertainty — a clear near‑term negative and the main reason some traders sold into the print. Analysts boost forecasts following Q1
- Negative Sentiment: Surging jet fuel costs are flagged as a material risk that could put full‑year guidance at risk — this cost pressure is cited across media and is weighing on near‑term profitability expectations. Fuel costs risk
- Negative Sentiment: Some analysts trimmed targets or gave cautious ratings (Argus cut its target to $45 from $55; HSBC moved to Hold with a $36.10 target), reflecting mixed views that can cap upside. Argus adjusts price target
Analyst Ratings Changes
LUV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Argus dropped their target price on Southwest Airlines from $55.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Southwest Airlines from $58.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Southwest Airlines from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Southwest Airlines from $50.00 to $44.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $44.31.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Price Performance
Shares of LUV opened at $39.46 on Friday. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52-week low of $25.89 and a 52-week high of $55.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.48. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $42.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.24. The firm has a market cap of $19.38 billion, a PE ratio of 25.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.19.
Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The airline reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 10.66% and a net margin of 2.83%.The firm had revenue of $7.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.13) earnings per share. The company’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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 2.71 EPS for the current year.
Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were given a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 85.71%.
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.
Further Reading
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.
