Carnival Corp vs Southwest Airlines Co — how do they compare? Carnival Corp trades at $28.28 (market cap $39.71B), while Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.74 (market cap $21.97B). The key difference: Carnival Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and Southwest Airlines Co pays the higher dividend (1.6%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CCL | LUV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $39.71B | $21.97B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $33.99 | $54.80 |
52-Week Low | $23.89 | $29.06 |
Enterprise Value | $63.63B | $25.06B |
Dividend Yield | 1.55% | 1.6% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Carnival Corporation (CCL) trades at $28.99, up 0.69% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong support at $28. The stock shows robust fundamentals, with revenue growing to $26.62B in 2025 and net income at $2.76B, while recent quarters have beaten EPS estimates. Analysts maintain a buy consensus with a $35.18 price target, and positive news highlights fleet expansion and sustainability initiatives.
The outlook for CCL is positive, driven by record travel demand, cost control, and debt reduction, offering potential upside to the consensus target. Risks include fuel price volatility, economic sensitivity, and high leverage, though improved cash flow and dividend reinstatement support investor confidence.
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
Carnival is the largest global cruise company, with 91 ships in its fleet in October 2022, with eight of its nine brands set to be fully redeployed by the end of 2022. Its portfolio of brands includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn in North America.
Read more on CCL →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 →