Strs Ohio Increases Stock Position in Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV

Key Points

• STRS Ohio boosted its stake in Southwest Airlines (LUV) by 250.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 28,172 shares to hold 39,437 shares valued at $1.63 million.
• Southwest reported Q1 EPS of $0.45 (matching estimates) and revenue of $7.25 billion—below the $8.46 billion consensus—while setting Q2 2026 guidance at $0.35–$0.65 per share.
• Institutional ownership is high at 80.82%, and analyst sentiment is mixed with nine Buys, nine Holds and four Sells and an average price target of $44.11.

Strs Ohio lifted its stake in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV - Free Report) by 250.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,437 shares of the airline's stock after acquiring an additional 28,172 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio's holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $1,630,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Optima Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. 80.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Southwest Airlines Price Performance

NYSE LUV opened at $41.51 on Thursday. The business's fifty day moving average is $41.08 and its 200 day moving average is $40.56. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 0.48. The company has a market capitalization of $20.29 billion, a PE ratio of 26.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.12.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The airline reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.45. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 10.66% and a net margin of 2.83%.The business had revenue of $7.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.13) earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. Southwest Airlines has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.350-0.650 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 2.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Seaport Research Partners lifted their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $57.00 to $58.00 in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $43.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $58.00 to $56.00 in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $44.11.

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.

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