Meeder Asset Management Inc. Increases Position in Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV

Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 49.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 50,792 shares of the airline’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,704 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $1,908,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Optima Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.82% of the company’s stock.

Southwest Airlines Trading Up 0.5%

LUV stock opened at $48.33 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52-week low of $28.98 and a 52-week high of $55.11. The firm has a market cap of $23.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.18, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.12.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The airline reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. The firm had revenue of $7.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.46 billion. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 10.66% and a net margin of 2.83%.Southwest Airlines’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.13) EPS. Southwest Airlines has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.350-0.650 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 3.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were issued a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 11th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Southwest Airlines from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $47.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. HSBC raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $24.40 to $36.10 in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Southwest Airlines from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.58.

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.