Southwest Airlines (LUV) reported $6.95 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.2%. EPS of $0.11 for the same period compares to $0.15 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.97 billion, representing a surprise of -0.29%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +1000%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.01.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Southwest performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Load factor: 79.8% versus 80.4% estimated by five analysts on average.
- Revenue passenger miles (RPMs): 36.36 billion versus 36.47 billion estimated by four analysts on average.
- Available seat miles (ASMs): 45.57 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 45.3 billion.
- Passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM): 13.85 cents compared to the 13.93 cents average estimate based on four analysts.
- CASM, excluding Fuel and oil expense, special items, and profit sharing expense: 12.21 cents versus 12.41 cents estimated by four analysts on average.
- Revenue Per Available Seat Mile (RASM): 15.25 cents versus the four-analyst average estimate of 15.34 cents.
- Fuel costs per gallon, including fuel tax: 2.40 $/gal versus 2.34 $/gal estimated by three analysts on average.
- Fuel consumed: 554.00 Mgal versus 545.02 Mgal estimated by three analysts on average.
- CASM, excluding Fuel and oil expense and special items: 12.24 cents versus the three-analyst average estimate of 12.44 cents.
- Operating Revenues- Passenger [$M]: $6.31 billion versus $6.28 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1% change.
- Operating Revenues- Other: $594 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $632.82 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3%.
- Operating Revenues- Freight [$M]: $42 million versus $47.5 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.3% change.
View all Key Company Metrics for Southwest here>>>
Shares of Southwest have returned +4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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