Insight Guru Inc.

03/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 04:29

Better Value & Growth: LTM Leads Southwest Airlines Stock

Better Value & Growth: LTM Leads Southwest Airlines Stock

March 17th, 2026by Trefis Team
+16.85%
Upside
41.12
Market
48.05
Trefis
LUV
Southwest Airlines

LTM is Southwest Airlines's peer in Passenger Airlines industry that has the following:

1) Lower valuation (P/OpInc) compared to Southwest Airlines stock
2) But higher revenue and operating income growth

This disconnect between valuation and performance could mean that you are better off buying LTM stock vs. LUV stock

Stock-picking thrills fade fast when volatility hits. Smart financial advisors stay ahead by combining insights with action, channeling client capital into diversified portfolios that perform across cycles.

Key Metrics Compared

Metric LUV LTM
P/OpInc* 57.1x 6.1x
LTM OpInc Growth 33.3% 48.2%
3Y Avg OpInc Growth -0.4% 340.5%
LTM Revenue Growth 2.1% 11.2%
3Y Avg Revenue Growth 5.7% 15.2%

OpInc = Operating Income, P/OpInc = Price To Operating Income Ratio

But do these numbers tell the full story? Read Buy or Sell LUV Stock to see if Southwest Airlines still has an edge that holds up under the hood. As a quick background, Southwest Airlines (LUV) provides scheduled passenger air transportation services across the U.S. and nearby international markets, operating a fleet of 728 Boeing 737 aircraft serving 121 destinations.

This is just one approach to evaluate investments. Trefis High Quality Portfolio evaluates much more, and is designed to reduce stock-specific risk while giving upside exposure

Is The Mismatch In Stock Price Temporary

One way to check if Southwest Airlines stock is expensive now versus the other tickers would be to see how these metrics compared across companies exactly one year ago. Specifically, if there has been a marked reversal in the trend for Southwest Airlines in the last 12 months, then there is a chance that the current mismatch is likely to reverse. On the other hand, a persistent underperformance in revenue and operating income growth for Southwest Airlines would reinforce the conclusion that the stock is expensive compared to its peers, but may not revert soon

Key Metrics Compared 1 Yr Prior

Metric LUV LTM
P/OpInc* 52.3x 4.2x
LTM OpInc Growth 187.3% 45.0%
3Y Avg OpInc Growth -48.7% 269.9%
LTM Revenue Growth 0.6% 8.0%
3Y Avg Revenue Growth 6.8% 17.3%

OpInc = Operating Income

Additional Metrics To Consider

Metric LUV LTM
P/S 0.9x 1.0x
Market Cap (Current) $ 24.5 Bil $ 14.2 Bil
LTM Revenue $ 28.06 Bil $ 14.27 Bil
LTM Opinc $ 428.00 Mil $ 2.34 Bil
LTM Op Margin 1.5% 16.4%

OpInc = Operating Income

Alternate buying based on valuation, while attractive, needs to be evaluated carefully from multiple angles. Such multi-factor analysis is exactly how we construct Trefis portfolio strategies. If you want upside with a smoother ride than an individual stock, consider the High Quality portfolio, which has outperformed its benchmark-a combination of the S&P 500, Russell, and S&P midcap indices.

Insight Guru Inc. published this content on March 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 18, 2026 at 10:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]