Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV Shares Sold by Lombard Odier Asset Management USA Corp

Lombard Odier Asset Management USA Corp cut its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 49.7% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 34,363 shares of the airline’s stock after selling 33,966 shares during the quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management USA Corp’s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $1,291,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Optima Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southwest Airlines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LUV opened at $45.19 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $22.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.12. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $46.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.29. Southwest Airlines Co. has a fifty-two week low of $28.98 and a fifty-two week high of $55.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The airline reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.42. The firm had revenue of $8.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.58 billion. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 14.15%. Southwest Airlines’s revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. 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. Equities analysts expect that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 3.59 EPS for the current year.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 11th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on LUV. BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $24.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $58.50 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $44.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Argus reduced their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $55.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.55.

Key Headlines Impacting Southwest Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target on Southwest Airlines to $60 from $58.50 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling confidence in further upside after the company’s earnings beat. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays kept a buy rating on Southwest Airlines, reinforcing the bullish view from analysts following the airline’s latest quarter. Barclays article
• Positive Sentiment: Southwest reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.94, well above estimates, and record quarterly revenue, showing improved earnings power and solid demand. Yahoo Finance report
• Positive Sentiment: Several earnings recaps highlighted stronger fares, commercial gains, and margin expansion, suggesting the company’s transformation efforts are starting to show through in results. Zacks report

Southwest Airlines Company 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.