Global Payments Inc vs Southwest Airlines Co — how do they compare? Global Payments Inc trades at $79.28 (market cap $21.40B), while Southwest Airlines Co trades at $49.51 (market cap $24.07B). The key difference: Global Payments Inc and Southwest Airlines Co are close in size by market cap, and Southwest Airlines Co pays the higher dividend (1.46%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| GPN | LUV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.40B | $24.07B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $90.01 | $54.80 |
52-Week Low | $62.47 | $29.06 |
Enterprise Value | $39.11B | $27.14B |
Dividend Yield | 1.28% | 1.46% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Global Payments (GPN) trades at $75.89, down 1.25% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The company maintains solid cash flow generation ($2.66B operating cash flow in 2025) and recently announced a $0.25 dividend. Despite negative net income margin and ROE, revenue trends show recovery potential with 2026 projections at $8.9B. Analyst consensus remains positive with 58% buy ratings and $81.56 price target.
GPN presents a mixed outlook with strong operational execution offset by profitability challenges. The Worldpay integration and AI-powered POS expansion offer growth catalysts, but margin pressure and rising debt levels pose risks. Current valuation at 28.76 P/E appears reasonable given the company's market position in payment technology, though investors should monitor competitive pressures in the fintech space.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) trades at $47.56, down 0.75% on the day, with a mixed technical picture showing bullish signals from moving averages and oscillators but near-term support at $47. Fundamentally, the company reported revenue of $28.06B for 2025 with a net income margin of 2.83%, though earnings missed expectations in Q1 2026. Recent news highlights upcoming Q2 2026 earnings on July 23, 2026, with analysts focused on travel demand and fuel cost pressures.
The investment outlook balances transformation initiatives and resilient travel demand against significant fuel price volatility and execution risks. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $52.47 price target, representing ~10% upside, but risks include lack of fuel hedging and competitive pressures. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 32.83 appears elevated relative to historical airline multiples.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Global Payments is a leading provider of payment processing and software solutions and focuses on serving small and midsize merchants. The company operates in 30 countries and generates about one fourth of its revenue from outside North America, primarily in Europe and Asia. In 2019, Global Payments merged with Total System Services in an all-stock deal that gave Total System Services shareholders 48% of the combined company's shares.
Read more on GPN →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 →