LUV vs. WM: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at LUV and WM, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
Symbol | LUV | WM |
---|---|---|
Company Name | Southwest Airlines Co. | Waste Management, Inc. |
Country | United States | United States |
GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
GICS Industry | Passenger Airlines | Commercial Services & Supplies |
Market Capitalization | 16.38 billion USD | 92.66 billion USD |
Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
Listing Date | January 2, 1980 | June 22, 1988 |
Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of LUV and WM by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
Symbol | LUV | WM |
---|---|---|
5-Day Price Return | 1.56% | 1.72% |
13-Week Price Return | -4.33% | -0.83% |
26-Week Price Return | 4.18% | 1.07% |
52-Week Price Return | 16.65% | 11.35% |
Month-to-Date Return | 0.81% | 0.38% |
Year-to-Date Return | -7.26% | 13.99% |
10-Day Avg. Volume | 7.38M | 2.05M |
3-Month Avg. Volume | 11.72M | 1.72M |
3-Month Volatility | 40.41% | 16.51% |
Beta | 1.23 | 0.66 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
LUV
4.11%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 49.96%
- Q3
- 28.15%
- Median
- 15.41%
- Q1
- 8.29%
- Min
- -11.01%
LUV’s Return on Equity of 4.11% is in the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
WM
31.93%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 18.03%
- Median
- 9.43%
- Q1
- 6.44%
- Min
- -9.69%
In the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, WM’s Return on Equity of 31.93% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
LUV
1.43%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 17.65%
- Q3
- 8.90%
- Median
- 5.80%
- Q1
- 2.02%
- Min
- -3.12%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, LUV’s Net Profit Margin of 1.43% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
WM
11.36%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 17.53%
- Q3
- 9.01%
- Median
- 5.20%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- -2.31%
A Net Profit Margin of 11.36% places WM in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
LUV
1.15%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 22.47%
- Q3
- 12.33%
- Median
- 8.62%
- Q1
- 4.43%
- Min
- -2.88%
LUV’s Operating Profit Margin of 1.15% is in the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
WM
17.52%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.43%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- Median
- 8.10%
- Q1
- 3.18%
- Min
- -6.03%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.52% places WM in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
Symbol | LUV | WM |
---|---|---|
Return on Equity (TTM) | 4.11% | 31.93% |
Return on Assets (TTM) | 1.20% | 6.42% |
Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 1.43% | 11.36% |
Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 1.15% | 17.52% |
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 73.31% | 39.72% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
LUV
0.56
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.94
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.54
- Min
- 0.17
LUV’s Current Ratio of 0.56 aligns with the median group of the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
WM
0.86
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.94
- Q3
- 1.89
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.53
WM’s Current Ratio of 0.86 falls into the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
LUV
0.51
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 9.80
- Q3
- 4.82
- Median
- 1.30
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, LUV’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.51 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
WM
2.61
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.08
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.61, WM operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
LUV
9.27
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 22.60
- Q3
- 16.29
- Median
- 6.75
- Q1
- 1.94
- Min
- -8.55
LUV’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.27 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
WM
6.82
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 12.37
- Median
- 7.16
- Q1
- 2.69
- Min
- -10.97
WM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.82 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
Symbol | LUV | WM |
---|---|---|
Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.56 | 0.86 |
Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.45 | 0.86 |
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.51 | 2.61 |
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 9.27 | 6.82 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
LUV
2.58%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 6.71%
- Q3
- 3.95%
- Median
- 1.10%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LUV’s Dividend Yield of 2.58% is consistent with its peers in the Passenger Airlines industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
WM
1.37%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.44%
- Q3
- 2.30%
- Median
- 1.37%
- Q1
- 0.63%
- Min
- 0.00%
WM’s Dividend Yield of 1.37% is consistent with its peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
LUV
59.15%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 71.59%
- Q3
- 38.54%
- Median
- 8.16%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LUV’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 59.15% is in the upper quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
WM
46.71%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 72.93%
- Median
- 40.45%
- Q1
- 23.31%
- Min
- 0.00%
WM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.71% is within the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
Symbol | LUV | WM |
---|---|---|
Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.58% | 1.37% |
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 59.15% | 46.71% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
LUV
42.24
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 13.29
- Q3
- 11.94
- Median
- 8.78
- Q1
- 7.42
- Min
- 3.07
At 42.24, LUV’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
WM
34.02
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.20
- Q3
- 37.10
- Median
- 22.38
- Q1
- 16.35
- Min
- 0.00
WM’s P/E Ratio of 34.02 is within the middle range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
LUV
0.60
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.74
- Median
- 0.61
- Q1
- 0.44
- Min
- 0.09
LUV’s P/S Ratio of 0.60 aligns with the market consensus for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
WM
3.86
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.28
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.00
WM’s P/S Ratio of 3.86 is in the upper echelon for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
LUV
2.31
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 3.44
- Q3
- 2.89
- Median
- 1.84
- Q1
- 1.22
- Min
- 0.56
LUV’s P/B Ratio of 2.31 is within the conventional range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
WM
10.01
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.71
- Q3
- 4.38
- Median
- 2.39
- Q1
- 1.57
- Min
- 0.43
At 10.01, WM’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
Symbol | LUV | WM |
---|---|---|
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 42.24 | 34.02 |
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 0.60 | 3.86 |
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 2.31 | 10.01 |
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 44.16 | 42.79 |