Lockheed Martin Corporation vs Southwest Airlines Co — how do they compare? Lockheed Martin Corporation trades at $504.75 (market cap $117.48B), while Southwest Airlines Co trades at $48.31 (market cap $23.63B). The key difference: Lockheed Martin Corporation is far larger — about 5× Southwest Airlines Co's market cap, and Lockheed Martin Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.71%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LMT | LUV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $117.48B | $23.63B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $676.70 | $54.80 |
52-Week Low | $410.74 | $29.06 |
Enterprise Value | $136.28B | $26.70B |
Dividend Yield | 2.71% | 1.49% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Lockheed Martin (LMT) trades at $509.44, showing modest daily gains of 0.13%. The stock faces bearish technical signals with recent earnings misses in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, though Q3 2025 exceeded expectations. Revenue growth remains steady, reaching $75.05B in 2025, while net margins have compressed to 6.38%. Analyst sentiment is strongly positive with 57% buy ratings and a $614 consensus target, supported by recent contract wins and new product launches like the PAC-3 ACE interceptor.
LMT offers defensive exposure to elevated defense spending with a $194B backlog, but faces execution risks from margin pressure and debt levels. The stock trades at a premium 24.6x P/E with technical weakness near support at $504. Upside depends on Q2 earnings beat and defense budget sustainability amid geopolitical tensions.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) trades at $48.28, up 0.42% today, with a neutral technical signal and mixed earnings history. Recent Q1 2026 EPS missed expectations, but Q4 2025 and Q3 2025 beat. Financials show modest revenue growth to $28.06B in 2025, but net income margin is thin at 2.83%. Analyst consensus is mixed with 42% buy, 47% hold, and 11% sell ratings, and a $52.47 price target implies potential upside. Key news highlights Q2 2026 earnings due July 23, 2026, amid fuel cost volatility and travel demand resilience.
LUV presents a cautious opportunity with upside to the consensus target, supported by operational improvements and sector tailwinds, but risks from fuel price swings, execution challenges, and thin margins warrant careful monitoring. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 32.05 appears elevated relative to earnings growth, requiring strong future performance to justify current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor globally and has dominated the Western market for high-end fighter aircraft since the F-35 program was awarded in 2001. Lockheed's largest segment is aeronautics, which is dominated by the massive F-35 program. Lockheed's remaining segments are rotary and mission systems, which is mainly the Sikorsky helicopter business.
Read more on LMT →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 →