Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Given New $45.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) had its target price boosted by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $42.00 to $45.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the airline’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.90% from the company’s previous close.

LUV has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Southwest Airlines from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $36.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Southwest Airlines from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Southwest Airlines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.37.

Southwest Airlines Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of LUV traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $42.09. The stock had a trading volume of 3,237,718 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,378,382. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.94. Southwest Airlines has a 12 month low of $23.82 and a 12 month high of $45.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $21.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.16.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southwest Airlines

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LUV. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines by 2,403.8% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 10,120,368 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $328,305,000 after acquiring an additional 9,716,160 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 43.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,335,167 shares of the airline’s stock worth $393,615,000 after purchasing an additional 3,753,183 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 2,468.4% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,752,352 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $155,085,000 after purchasing an additional 3,606,255 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in Southwest Airlines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $143,450,000. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new position in Southwest Airlines during the third quarter valued at approximately $62,340,000. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.