Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. Acquires Shares of 63,000 Southwest Airlines Co. $LUV

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 63,000 shares of the airline’s stock, valued at approximately $2,010,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. RWA Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the second quarter worth about $1,652,000. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Southwest Airlines by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 127,218 shares of the airline’s stock worth $4,150,000 after purchasing an additional 9,739 shares during the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 578,088 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $18,447,000 after purchasing an additional 29,665 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 30.1% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 1,406,652 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $45,632,000 after purchasing an additional 325,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $271,000. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Southwest Airlines Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE:LUV opened at $41.33 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $39.89 and a 200-day moving average of $35.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.38 billion, a PE ratio of 63.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.16. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52 week low of $23.82 and a 52 week high of $45.02.

Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Southwest Airlines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 110.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LUV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $35.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $28.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $35.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $42.37.

About Southwest Airlines

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.