Southwest Airlines (LUV) experienced a significant drop of 11.9% by 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, following its failure to meet the financial projections set by analysts in terms of both revenue and profitability during their report released yesterday.
As Q2 approaches, analysts anticipated that the airline would generate at least a $0.51 per share profit (after adjustments) on revenues of approximately $7.29 billion. Contrary to these expectations, Southwest reported earnings of merely $0.43 per share and revenue of just $7.24 billion.
Southwest Airlines Q2 earnings
The situation deteriorated further. Initially, Southwest Airlines was projected to earn around $0.43 per share, but due to unexpected costs (one-time expenses), the actual earnings according to standard accounting practices (GAAP) dropped to $0.39 per share. This represents a significant decrease of 33% compared to the same period last year, and it’s important to note that this decline in earnings occurred despite a minor revenue drop of just 1.5%.
So clearly Southwest’s profit margins declined, but why?
In Q2 2024, fuel costs significantly decreased, but unfortunately, that wasn’t our saving grace. Instead, salaries, wages, and benefits rose by 9%, while landing fees went up by 11%. These two factors had the most significant impact on our results, overshadowing even Southwest’s less-than-popular move to introduce additional luggage charges, which unfortunately couldn’t offset them.
Is Southwest stock a sell?
Looking to their financial advice, Southwest indicates they are expected to bring in at least $600 million this year, excluding debt interest and taxes. With such potential earnings, the company believes its stocks are undervalued, and they have declared a $2 billion stock repurchase plan. This action means even more shares will be removed from circulation following today’s market decline.
But is buying Southwest stock a good idea?
The stock seems costly, priced at 39 times its current earnings, but analyst predictions suggest a potential for strong earnings growth. They forecast a doubling of profits next year to $2.25 per share, with further growth expected in the future.
With a multiple of 15 times its future earnings, no outstanding debt, and offering a decent 1.9% dividend return, Southwest’s stocks might be an excellent investment opportunity waiting to happen.
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2025-07-24 21:48