Southwest Airlines Co vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.71 (market cap $21.97B), while Wendys Co trades at $7.53 (market cap $1.39B). The key difference: Southwest Airlines Co is far larger — about 15.8× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays the higher dividend (3.84%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.97B | $1.39B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $10.68 |
52-Week Low | $29.67 | $6.17 |
Enterprise Value | $25.06B | $5.12B |
Dividend Yield | 1.6% | 3.84% |
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.
Wendy's stock (WEN) trades at $7.69, up 4.06% in the last session, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus price target of $9.33. Recent Q2 2026 EPS beat estimates at $0.18, but revenue trends show stagnation near $2.2B, with net income declining to $165M in 2025. The company faces headwinds from a dividend cut and lost market share to Burger King, as new leadership pursues a turnaround plan amid weak U.S. traffic.
The outlook is cautious; valuation ratios like P/E of 11.67 and P/S of 0.67 suggest undervaluation, but high debt and competitive pressures pose risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 62.75% hold ratings, reflecting uncertainty over the turnaround's success. Near-term performance hinges on execution of strategic initiatives to revive sales and margins.
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 Wendy's Company is the second-largest burger quick-service restaurant, or QSR, chain in the United States by systemwide sales, with $11.1 billion in 2021, narrowly edging Burger King ($10.3 billion) and clocking in well behind wide-moat McDonald's ($45.7 billion). After divestitures of Tim Hortons (2006) and Arby's (2011), the firm manages just the burger banner, generating sales across a footprint that spans almost 7,000 total units in 30 countries. Wendy's generates revenue from the sale of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and fries throughout its company-owned footprint, through franchise royalty and marketing fund payments remitted by its franchisees, which account for 94% of stores, and through franchise flipping and advisory fees.
Read more on WEN →