Southwest Airlines Co vs United Parcel Service Inc — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.8 (market cap $21.97B), while United Parcel Service Inc trades at $104.43 (market cap $89.09B). The key difference: United Parcel Service Inc is far larger — about 4.1× Southwest Airlines Co's market cap, and United Parcel Service Inc pays the higher dividend (6.26%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | UPS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.97B | $89.09B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $120.00 |
52-Week Low | $29.67 | $82.58 |
Enterprise Value | $25.06B | $113.11B |
Dividend Yield | 1.6% | 6.26% |
Volume | — | 2,288,643 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Southwest Airlines (LUV) trades at $47.05, up 0.23% today, with a bullish technical signal and consensus price target of $53.86. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with EPS of $0.94 versus $0.51 expected, driven by record revenue. The company maintains a solid liquidity position of $8.73B cash and has declared quarterly dividends of $0.18 per share, with new board appointments signaling strategic focus.
Outlook is positive with projected 2026 net income margin of 2.78% and revenue growth to $30.1B, but risks include fuel cost volatility and competitive pressures. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 42% buy ratings, offering potential upside of 14.5% to the consensus target, though institutional selling by firms like Elliott Management warrants monitoring.
UPS trades at $104.48, up 1.24% daily, with a bearish technical signal but recent earnings beats. Revenue declined to $88.66B in 2025, with net income margin at 5.08%, while valuation ratios like P/E of 19.42 and P/S of 0.99 suggest moderate pricing. The company maintains a strong dividend yield, with recent payouts of $1.64 per share, and analyst consensus is mixed amid cost-cutting efforts and Amazon volume reset.
Outlook is cautious due to margin pressures and competitive threats, but upside exists if operational efficiencies materialize. Risks include high debt-to-asset ratio of 33.02% and volatile cash flows. Analysts target $117.90 on average, implying potential growth, but investor sentiment remains divided given bearish technical trends.
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 Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) delivers packages and documents throughout the United States and in other countries and territories. The Company also provides global supply chain services and less-than-truckload transportation, primarily in the US UPS's business consists of integrated air and ground pick-up and delivery network
Read more on UPS →