Southwest Airlines Co vs Union Pacific Corporation — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $41.03 (market cap $20.23B), while Union Pacific Corporation trades at $277.88 (market cap $165.27B). The key difference: Union Pacific Corporation is far larger — about 8.2× Southwest Airlines Co's market cap, and Union Pacific Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.04%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Southwest Airlines Co for 65 Days and Union Pacific Corporation for 105 Days on average.
| LUV | UNP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $20.23B | $165.27B |
Volume | 14,560,422 | 1,474,117 |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $310.62 |
52-Week Low | $29.67 | $216.37 |
Typical Hold Time | 65 Days | 105 Days |
Enterprise Value | $23.33B | $194.33B |
Dividend Yield | 1.74% | 2.04% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Southwest Airlines (LUV) trades at $41.72, down 1.72% today, with mixed technical signals showing bearish moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company demonstrates improving fundamentals with Q2 2026 EPS beating expectations at $0.94 versus $0.51 expected, while revenue growth continues from $28.06B in 2025 to projected $30.1B in 2026. Recent corporate developments include upcoming Q3 2026 earnings release on October 21 and successful commercial transformation initiatives driving revenue growth.
LUV presents a compelling value opportunity with attractive valuation metrics (P/S 0.72, EV/EBITDA 8.4) and analyst consensus target of $49.61 offering 19% upside. However, investors face risks from volatile fuel costs, competitive pressures in the airline industry, and inconsistent earnings performance as seen in the Q1 2026 miss. The stock's transformation into a merchandised airline with new revenue streams provides growth catalysts but requires monitoring of execution risks.
Union Pacific (UNP) trades at $274.68, down 0.7% today, with a bearish technical signal despite strong Q2 2026 earnings beat. The stock shows robust fundamentals with 28.85% net margin and 39.7% ROE, supported by $9.3B operating cash flow in 2025. Recent news highlights battery-electric locomotive deployment and momentum in the Norfolk Southern combination, while analyst consensus remains bullish with a $332.10 price target.
UNP presents a compelling long-term investment with strong profitability and dividend growth, though near-term technical weakness and merger uncertainty pose risks. The stock trades at a discount to analyst targets, offering potential upside if operational execution continues and the Norfolk Southern deal progresses favorably.
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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 →Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific is the largest public railroad in North America. Operating on more than 30,000 miles of track in the western two thirds of the U.S., UP generated roughly $22 billion of revenue in 2021 by hauling coal, industrial products, intermodal containers, agriculture goods, chemicals, and automotive goods. UP owns about one fourth of Mexican railroad Ferromex and derives about 10% of its revenue hauling freight to and from Mexico.
Read more on UNP →