Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV Shares Bought by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 164.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 146,097 shares of the airline’s stock after acquiring an additional 90,846 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $4,662,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LUV. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Southwest Airlines in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Corsicana & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 81.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,056 shares of the airline’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Southwest Airlines in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Southwest Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rare double-upgrade from JPMorgan — JPMorgan upgraded LUV from underweight to overweight and lifted its price target to $60, a large upward move that traders say is the main catalyst for the rally as it signals materially higher earnings expectations. Barron’s: Rare Double Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple price-target raises — Citi and UBS both bumped targets (Citi to $44, UBS to $45), reinforcing the analyst trend higher and supporting upside in the stock as models are re-priced for better forward earnings. Citi price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Broader analyst optimism — Citigroup and other firms published bullish commentary forecasting notable price appreciation based on improving fundamentals and potential margin recovery. Citigroup forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its target to $45 but kept a “neutral” rating — the higher target supports the rally but the retained rating tempers how decisive the firm views near-term upside. Benzinga: Susquehanna note
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic/cabin changes under review — articles on Southwest’s cabin revamp and assigned seating argue these initiatives could reshape unit revenue and customer experience, but benefits depend on execution and timing. Yahoo: Cabin revamp
• Neutral Sentiment: New marketing/partnerships — a legacy partnership with the Chicago Cubs is positive PR and revenue/brand-supportive, but unlikely to move near-term fundamentals materially. MLB press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst landscape — several firms remain cautious/hold-rated (e.g., Wells Fargo), so while sentiment is tilting positive, coverage is not uniformly bullish. Wells Fargo hold

Southwest Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of LUV stock opened at $44.46 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $37.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.99 billion, a PE ratio of 68.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52 week low of $23.82 and a 52 week high of $45.02.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The airline reported ($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 6.39% and a net margin of 1.38%. On average, research analysts predict that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 26th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 110.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Southwest Airlines from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Bank of America upped their price target on Southwest Airlines from $28.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Southwest Airlines in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $45.00 price objective for the company. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southwest Airlines has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.11.

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.