Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Given New $25.00 Price Target at Susquehanna

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) had its price objective decreased by Susquehanna from $34.00 to $25.00 in a research note released on Monday,Benzinga reports. Susquehanna currently has a neutral rating on the airline’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Southwest Airlines from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $28.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $31.00 price target (down previously from $33.00) on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Friday, January 17th. Melius raised Southwest Airlines from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Melius Research raised Southwest Airlines from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $28.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Southwest Airlines from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southwest Airlines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $31.27.

Southwest Airlines Stock Performance

Southwest Airlines stock opened at $28.59 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $16.94 billion, a PE ratio of 39.71, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Southwest Airlines has a 1 year low of $23.58 and a 1 year high of $36.12. The company’s 50-day moving average is $30.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.50.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The airline reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.11. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 1.69% and a return on equity of 5.77%. Equities analysts anticipate that Southwest Airlines will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Insider Transactions at Southwest Airlines

In other news, Director C. David Cush acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $30.03 per share, for a total transaction of $150,150.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 19,011 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $570,900.33. This trade represents a 35.69 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southwest Airlines

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Southwest Airlines by 186.7% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 883 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 575 shares during the period. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. lifted its holdings in Southwest Airlines by 196.3% during the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. now owns 889 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 589 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its position in Southwest Airlines by 41.1% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,184 shares of the airline’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the period. Finally, VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors own 80.82% of the company’s stock.

Southwest Airlines Company Profile

Southwest Airlines Co operates as a passenger airline company that provides scheduled air transportation services in the United States and near-international markets. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated a total fleet of 817 Boeing 737 aircraft; and served 121 destinations in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as ten near-international countries, including Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos.