Southwest Airlines Co vs Nasdaq100 ETF — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.21 (market cap $22.27B), while Nasdaq100 ETF trades at $726.81. The key difference: Southwest Airlines Co pays a 1.58% dividend while Nasdaq100 ETF pays none, and Nasdaq100 ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Southwest Airlines Co nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | QQQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $22.27B | — |
Sector | Industrials | — |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $746.16 |
52-Week Low | $29.67 | $558.34 |
Enterprise Value | $25.37B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.58% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Southwest Airlines (LUV) trades at $44.9, down 4.57% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported mixed quarterly earnings, beating in Q2 2026 but missing in Q1 2026, while revenue growth is projected to rise to $30.1B in 2026. Recent news highlights board appointments and initiatives to attract business travelers, amid a volatile fuel cost environment.
LUV presents a cautious opportunity with a consensus price target of $53.86 implying upside, supported by improving cash flow and dividend payments. Risks include fuel price volatility, execution on new business offerings, and competitive pressures, requiring careful monitoring of earnings consistency and cost management.
QQQ trades at $720.85, down 0.3% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages while oscillators show neutral momentum. The ETF shows strong institutional interest with recent purchases by Ferguson Shapiro LLC and Avior Wealth Management. Analyst sentiment is divided with equal buy and sell ratings, reflecting uncertainty about the tech-heavy Nasdaq's continued rally in H2 2026.
The outlook remains cautiously optimistic given historical momentum trends and Federal Reserve policy expectations, though risks include expense ratio concerns versus cheaper alternatives like QQQM and potential volatility from concentrated tech exposure. Key support sits at $715 with resistance at $724.
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 →The ETF is designed to track the performance of the securities and the stocks in the NASDAQ-100 Index. To maintain the composition and weightings, the advisor adjusts the ETF from time to time to conform to periodic changes in the index target.
Read more on QQQ →