Compare Southwest Airlines Co (LUV) vs Ulta Beauty Inc (ULTA) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Southwest Airlines Co vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $48.35 (market cap $23.63B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $488 (market cap $20.98B). The key difference: Southwest Airlines Co and Ulta Beauty Inc are close in size by market cap, and Southwest Airlines Co pays a 1.49% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $23.63B | $20.98B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $29.06 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $26.70B | $23.06B |
Dividend Yield | 1.49% | — |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
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.
ULTA Beauty trades at $488.01, up 1.76% with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company maintains strong profitability with 39.33% gross margins and 47.45% ROE, though revenue growth has slowed to 0.9% in 2025. Recent leadership appointments and international expansion initiatives signal strategic positioning for future growth.
ULTA presents a compelling value opportunity with a 17.97 P/E ratio below historical averages, supported by 56.5% analyst buy ratings and a $618.29 consensus target. However, margin compression risks and competitive pressures require monitoring as the company navigates evolving consumer trends and expansion challenges.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
About Southwest Airlines Co
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 →About Ulta Beauty Inc
With more than 1,300 stores and a partnership with Target, Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the U.S. The firm offers makeup (43% of 2021 sales), fragrances, skin care, and hair care products (20% of 2021 sales), and bath and body items. Ulta offers private-label products and merchandise from more than 500 vendors. It also offers salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow services, in all stores. Most Ulta stores are approximately 10,000 square feet and are in suburban strip centers. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Read more on ULTA →
