Southwest Airlines Co vs Waste Management, Inc. — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.71 (market cap $21.97B), while Waste Management, Inc. trades at $226.76 (market cap $90.58B). The key difference: Waste Management, Inc. is far larger — about 4.1× Southwest Airlines Co's market cap, and Southwest Airlines Co pays the higher dividend (1.6%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | WM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.97B | $90.58B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $246.51 |
52-Week Low | $29.67 | $196.77 |
Enterprise Value | $25.06B | $113.37B |
Dividend Yield | 1.6% | 1.56% |
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.
WM trades at $227.68, down 0.58% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages and oversold RSI levels. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.02, beating estimates, with revenue growth to $25.2 billion in 2025. Valuation ratios are elevated, with a P/E of 59.96 and P/S of 16.1, reflecting premium pricing. Recent news highlights margin gains and institutional activity, including Bank of America reducing holdings by 6.1% in Q1 2026 (Defense World, 2026-08-01).
The outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $263.43, implying 15.7% upside, driven by pricing discipline and technology investments. Risks include high debt levels, with a debt-to-asset ratio of 53.62% in 2024, and softer volume trends. Earnings momentum from recent beats supports growth, but margin pressures and economic sensitivity could limit gains.
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 →Waste Management ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating approximately 260 active landfills and about 340 transfer stations. The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.
Read more on WM →