Core Viewpoint - Southwest Airlines (LUV) is positioned as a strong investment opportunity due to its improving earnings outlook and analysts raising earnings estimates [1][3]. Earnings Estimate Revisions - The trend in estimate revisions reflects growing analyst optimism about Southwest Airlines' earnings prospects, which is expected to positively influence its stock price [2]. - For the current quarter, the earnings estimate is $0.51 per share, showing a significant increase of +492.3% compared to the previous year [5]. - Over the last 30 days, four estimates have been raised while one has been lowered, resulting in a 30.94% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter [5]. - For the full year, the expected earnings are $4.30 per share, representing a year-over-year increase of +362.4% [6]. - In the past month, seven estimates have been raised with no negative revisions, indicating a positive trend for the current year [6]. Zacks Rank - Southwest Airlines currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong agreement among analysts regarding the positive earnings estimate revisions [7]. - The Zacks Rank system has a proven track record, with Zacks 1 Ranked stocks averaging an annual return of +25% since 2008 [3]. Stock Performance - The stock has gained 18.5% over the past four weeks, driven by solid estimate revisions, suggesting potential for further growth [8].
Why Southwest (LUV) Might be Well Poised for a Surge