JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts Stock Position in Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV

JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 13.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 12,218,086 shares of the airline’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,459,235 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $389,879,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Corsicana & Co. purchased a new position in Southwest Airlines during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Southwest Airlines by 81.4% in the second 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. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southwest Airlines Price Performance

NYSE:LUV opened at $54.68 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $44.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.85. The stock has a market cap of $26.86 billion, a PE ratio of 65.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.15. 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 one year low of $23.82 and a one year high of $55.11.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The airline reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $7.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.51 billion. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 1.57% and a return on equity of 6.18%. Southwest Airlines’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.56 earnings per share. Southwest Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000- EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.450- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio is 85.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Seaport Research Partners raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $57.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group raised Southwest Airlines from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $51.00 to $73.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Southwest Airlines has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.14.

Trending Headlines about Southwest Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded LUV from Neutral to Buy and raised its 12‑month price target to $73 (from $51), citing meaningful earnings upside from new seating/fee initiatives. This upgrade is the primary catalyst for the rally. Southwest Airlines upgraded to ‘Buy’ by UBS, shares jump
• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other outlets highlight extra‑legroom seating and ancillary fee changes as incremental profit drivers — analysts expect meaningful per‑passenger revenue lift if rollout succeeds. Extra legroom to deliver extra profits for Southwest Airlines — UBS
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: multiple reports note a sizable intraday jump and LUV reaching a new 52‑week high as traders priced in the UBS call and follow‑on coverage. Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Hits New 52-Week High Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Elevated intraday and premarket volume accompanied the move (reports from Benzinga/MSN), indicating momentum trading around the headlines rather than a slow fundamental re‑rating. What’s Going On With Southwest Airlines Stock On Tuesday?
• Neutral Sentiment: Company fundamentals remain mixed: a recent quarter showed a small EPS beat but revenue slightly below consensus and guidance for FY‑2026 that investors will watch as fee changes roll out (impact depends on execution and timing).
• Negative Sentiment: Risks: valuation is elevated (P/E above peers), and the upside hinges on successful implementation of seating/fee changes without customer backlash or slower uptake — execution risk could cap gains if assumptions disappoint.

About Southwest Airlines

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.