British American Tobacco PLC vs Southwest Airlines Co — how do they compare? British American Tobacco PLC trades at $56.79 (market cap $122.96B), while Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.71 (market cap $21.97B). The key difference: British American Tobacco PLC is far larger — about 5.6× Southwest Airlines Co's market cap, and British American Tobacco PLC pays the higher dividend (5.85%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BTI | LUV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $122.96B | $21.97B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $66.70 | $54.80 |
52-Week Low | $50.39 | $29.67 |
Enterprise Value | $166.84B | $25.06B |
Dividend Yield | 5.85% | 1.6% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BTI trades at $59.33, up 1.02% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a P/E of 15.15, net income margin of 24.99%, and consistent earnings beats. Recent news highlights growth in next-generation products like Velo, though restructuring and regulatory pressures persist.
The outlook is mixed: valuation appears attractive with a 5%+ dividend yield, but declining operating cash flow and bearish technicals suggest near-term headwinds. Risks include regulatory scrutiny and combustible product declines, while analyst consensus leans bullish with 12 buy ratings.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) trades at $47.05, up 0.23% today, with a bullish technical signal and consensus price target of $53.86. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with EPS of $0.94 versus $0.51 expected, driven by record revenue. The company maintains a solid liquidity position of $8.73B cash and has declared quarterly dividends of $0.18 per share, with new board appointments signaling strategic focus.
Outlook is positive with projected 2026 net income margin of 2.78% and revenue growth to $30.1B, but risks include fuel cost volatility and competitive pressures. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 42% buy ratings, offering potential upside of 14.5% to the consensus target, though institutional selling by firms like Elliott Management warrants monitoring.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Following the acquisition of Reynolds American, British American Tobacco is neck-and-neck with Philip Morris International to be the largest listed global tobacco company--slightly larger than PMI on net revenue, but slightly smaller on total tobacco volume. British American's Global Drive Brands are Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, and Rothmans, and it also owns Newport and Camel in the U.S. The firm also sells vapor e-cigarettes, including its Vype brand, heated tobacco, with Glo, as well as roll- your-own and smokeless tobacco products. The company holds 31% of ITC Limited, the leading Indian cigarette-maker.
Read more on BTI →Southwest Airlines is the largest domestic carrier in the United States, as measured by the number of originating passengers boarded. Southwest operates over 700 aircraft in an all-Boeing 737 fleet. Despite expanding into longer routes and business travel, the airline still specializes in short-haul leisure flights, using a point-to-point network. Southwest operates a low-cost carrier business model.
Read more on LUV →