Russell Investments Group Ltd. Purchases 128,920 Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV

Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 17.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 856,010 shares of the airline’s stock after acquiring an additional 128,920 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.17% of Southwest Airlines worth $27,315,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in Southwest Airlines by 3.2% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 18,101 shares of the airline’s stock worth $578,000 after buying an additional 553 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 10.6% during the third quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,523 shares of the airline’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares in the last quarter. Cladis Investment Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines during the third quarter worth about $255,000. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines by 22.6% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 137,042 shares of the airline’s stock worth $4,373,000 after acquiring an additional 25,305 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines by 97.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 9,260 shares of the airline’s stock worth $295,000 after acquiring an additional 4,570 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.82% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on LUV shares. Seaport Research Partners lifted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $57.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Southwest Airlines from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Southwest Airlines from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Southwest Airlines from $48.00 to $41.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.34.

Southwest Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of LUV opened at $38.61 on Friday. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 1 year low of $23.82 and a 1 year high of $55.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $46.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.62. The firm has a market cap of $18.97 billion, a PE ratio of 45.97, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.10.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The airline reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $7.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.51 billion. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 6.18% and a net margin of 1.57%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.56 EPS. Southwest Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000- EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.450- EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Southwest Airlines’s payout ratio is 85.71%.

Trending Headlines about Southwest Airlines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target on LUV to $35 from $27 (but kept a Sell rating), a small upbeat signal that some firms see more value than before. Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) Target Increased to $35 at Redburn
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies cut its price target to $41 from $48 and moved to a Hold — the lower target trims upside but still implies modest upside vs. the current price, so this is a mixed signal for traders. Jefferies Lowers LUV Price Target to $41
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and price?prediction roundups note that LUV is up ~30% over the past year but down sharply in the last month — useful context but not a direct catalyst. Southwest Price Prediction: What Wall Street Thinks LUV Is Worth in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Rising jet?fuel concerns tied to the U.S.–Iran conflict and related supply disruptions are pressuring airline margins; higher fuel expectations are a clear near?term earnings headwind for Southwest and the group. Why Is Southwest Airlines Stock Sliding Thursday?
• Negative Sentiment: Industry operational risks — TSA slowdowns at busy airports and reports of material added fuel costs for U.S. carriers — add execution risk and potential margin pressure. US airlines hit turbulence with TSA delays, fuel cost pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Other brokers (e.g., TD Cowen) have trimmed expectations, and the stream of downward revisions and cautious notes is amplifying selling pressure. TD Cowen Has Lowered Expectations for Southwest Airlines

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.