Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Sells 2,932,884 Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership reduced its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV - Free Report) by 37.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,858,283 shares of the airline's stock after selling 2,932,884 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned about 0.99% of Southwest Airlines worth $182,526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LUV. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Optima Capital LLC bought a new position in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 80.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Evercore increased their target price on Southwest Airlines from $44.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $47.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Nine 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.com, Southwest Airlines has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price 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 Stock Performance

Shares of LUV stock opened at $45.19 on Friday. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 12 month low of $28.98 and a 12 month high of $55.11. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $46.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.29. The firm has a market cap of $22.09 billion, a PE ratio of 27.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.12. 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 - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The airline reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.42. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 14.15%. The business had revenue of $8.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.43 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 research analysts expect that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 3.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 11th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Southwest Airlines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.17%.

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.

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