$Southwest Airlines (LUV.US)$ is set to give its latest quarterly earnings report on Thursday, 2021-10-21. Here's what investors need to know before the announcement.
Analysts estimate that Southwest Airlines will likely report an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $-0.27
Southwest Airlines bulls will hope to hear the company to announce they've not only beaten that estimate, but also to provide positive guidance, or forecasted growth, for the next quarter.
New investors should note that it is sometimes not an earnings beat or miss that most affects the price of a stock, but the guidance (or forecast).
Past Earnings Performance
Last quarter the company beat on EPS by 9.38%, which was followed by a 1.15% drop in the share price the next day.
Here's a look at Southwest Airlines's past performance and the resulting price change:
| Quarter | Q2 2021 | Q1 2021 | Q4 2020 | Q3 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | -0.32 | -1.85 | -1.68 | -2.35 |
| EPS Actual | -0.35 | -1.72 | -1.29 | -1.99 |
| Price Change % | -1.15% | 0.75% | -1.48% | 2.05% |
Stock Performance
Shares of Southwest Airlines were trading at $49.38 as of October 19. Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 17.1%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders should be satisfied going into this earnings release.