Southwest Airlines Co vs Annaly Capital Management, Inc. — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $48.56 (market cap $23.63B), while Annaly Capital Management, Inc. trades at $22.6 (market cap $16.63B). The key difference: Southwest Airlines Co is the larger of the two by market cap, and Annaly Capital Management, Inc. pays the higher dividend (13.22%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | NLY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $23.63B | $16.63B |
Sector | Industrials | Financials |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $24.40 |
52-Week Low | $29.06 | $19.96 |
Enterprise Value | $26.70B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.49% | 13.22% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
NLY trades at $22.73, down 1.22% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong earnings beat history. The stock shows a low P/E of 7.42 and a 13% dividend yield, supported by recent analyst upgrades. Revenue grew to $2.24B in 2025, with net income margin at 91.17%, though cash flow from operations declined to $693M. The consensus price target is $24.80, implying 9% upside.
Outlook remains positive given earnings momentum and high yield, but risks include interest rate sensitivity and elevated debt-to-asset ratio of 23.55. Institutional sentiment is bullish with 57% buy ratings, though macroeconomic shifts could pressure mortgage REIT performance.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Annaly Capital Management Inc is an American mortgage real estate investment trust. The company segments its operations into Residential and Commercial real estate investments. While Annaly's Residential assets are primarily comprised of agency mortgage-backed securities and debentures, it is primarily invested in commercial mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities in its Commercial unit through its subsidiary, Annaly Commercial Real Estate Group. Agency mortgage-backed securities and debentures make up the majority of the company's overall portfolio. Most of the company's counterparties are located in the U.S. Annaly generates nearly all of its revenue from the spread between interest earned on its assets and interest payments made on its borrowings.
Read more on NLY →