Jefferies Financial Group Raises Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Price Target to $45.00

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from $42.00 to $45.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “hold” rating on the airline’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target suggests a potential upside of 8.87% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on Southwest Airlines from $42.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Southwest Airlines in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Thursday, December 18th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $45.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Southwest Airlines from $28.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southwest Airlines presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.37.

Southwest Airlines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LUV opened at $41.33 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.16. Southwest Airlines has a 1-year low of $23.82 and a 1-year high of $45.02. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southwest Airlines

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Evergreen Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Southwest Airlines during the fourth quarter valued at $439,000. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Tred Avon Family Wealth LLC bought a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at about $213,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its position in Southwest Airlines by 85.6% in the 4th quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 2,584 shares of the airline’s stock worth $107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192 shares during the period. Finally, Berger Financial Group Inc bought a new stake in Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter worth about $255,000. Institutional investors own 80.82% of the company’s stock.

Southwest Airlines Company Profile

Southwest Airlines Co is a U.S.-based low-cost carrier that operates a point-to-point domestic and near-international airline network. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company primarily flies Boeing 737 aircraft and offers no-frills, single-class service designed to keep fares competitive. Southwest’s operating model emphasizes high aircraft utilization, quick turnaround times and an open seating policy, allowing customers to board and select seats on a first-come, first-served basis.

Founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Company, Southwest began commercial service in 1971, initially connecting Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.