Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV Shares Sold by Bayforest Capital Ltd

Bayforest Capital Ltd decreased its position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) by 95.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 947 shares of the airline’s stock after selling 18,122 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd’s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $39,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of LUV. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southwest Airlines Stock Performance

Shares of LUV opened at $37.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $18.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.38, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.14. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 1 year low of $24.63 and a 1 year high of $55.11.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The airline reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. The business had revenue of $7.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.46 billion. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.83% and a return on equity of 10.30%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.13) earnings per share. Southwest Airlines has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.350-0.650 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 2.72 EPS for the current year.

Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th were paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 85.71%.

Key Southwest Airlines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Transformation driving results: Southwest said its commercial and operational initiatives are fully implemented, producing record quarterly passenger and unit revenue, stronger operating margin (4.6%) and positive net income of $227M. PR Newswire: First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings met consensus: Q1 EPS of $0.45 matched analyst expectations, and management highlighted record revenue and stronger cash generation (operating cash flow ~$1.4B). Zacks: Q1 Earnings Meet Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views mixed: Some firms remain bullish and see upside (recent price targets range widely), but ratings and targets are split — keeping consensus expectations dispersed. American Banking News: Analyst Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Weak near-term guidance: Management issued Q2 adjusted EPS guidance of $0.35–$0.65 (midpoint below the Street), and said updating full‑year EPS guidance isn’t productive amid macro and fuel uncertainty — a primary driver of the selloff. Reuters: Q2 Profit Forecast Below Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Rising jet fuel pressure: CEO Bob Jordan told media he expects higher jet fuel prices for the remainder of the year, which will squeeze margins despite revenue gains — mirroring sector-wide guidance cuts. CNBC Interview: CEO on Fuel
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed metric flow: although revenue was record-high year-over-year (~$7.25B), some outlets flagged misses relative to certain consensus figures and operating profit and EPS declined versus year-ago levels, adding to investor caution. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Snapshot

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on LUV. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Seaport Research Partners increased their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $57.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $59.00 to $56.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Southwest Airlines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $27.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $44.22.

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.