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

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) had its price objective upped by Jefferies Financial Group from $42.00 to $45.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a hold rating on the airline’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on LUV. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Monday, December 29th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $28.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $35.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Southwest Airlines has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.37.

Southwest Airlines Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE LUV opened at $42.00 on Monday. Southwest Airlines has a 12 month low of $23.82 and a 12 month high of $45.02. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $39.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.98. The stock has a market cap of $21.72 billion, a PE ratio of 64.62, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th were given a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 110.77%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southwest Airlines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Southwest Airlines by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,726 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $278,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 7.1% in the second quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 4,690 shares of the airline’s stock worth $148,000 after buying an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 1.4% in the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 24,857 shares of the airline’s stock worth $806,000 after buying an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Southwest Airlines by 2.4% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 14,285 shares of the airline’s stock worth $456,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Southwest Airlines by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 10,791 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $344,000 after acquiring an additional 343 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.82% of the company’s stock.

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.