Southwest Airlines Co vs United Airlines Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $48.61 (market cap $23.63B), while United Airlines Holdings Inc trades at $118.11 (market cap $38.15B). The key difference: United Airlines Holdings Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Southwest Airlines Co pays a 1.49% dividend while United Airlines Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | UAL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $23.63B | $38.15B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $136.11 |
52-Week Low | $29.06 | $84.57 |
Enterprise Value | $26.70B | $55.18B |
Dividend Yield | 1.49% | — |
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.
United Airlines (UAL) trades at $116.77, up 1.18% with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 10.81 and consistent earnings beats, including Q2 2026 EPS of $1.99 versus $1.88 expected. Revenue growth is robust, rising to $59.07B in 2025, though fuel costs pose headwinds. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $163.75 price target and no sell ratings among 47 analysts.
Outlook remains positive due to resilient travel demand and premium revenue growth, but investors face risks from volatile fuel prices and operational disruptions. The stock offers value with low valuation multiples and upward earnings revisions, yet macroeconomic sensitivity requires caution.
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 →United Airlines is a major U.S. network carrier. United's hubs include San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, and Washington, D.C. United operates a hub-and-spoke system that is more focused on international travel than legacy peers.
Read more on UAL →