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Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) Total Return Calculator with Dividends Reinvested

Southwest Airlines Co.

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The total return for Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) stock is +41.49% over the past 12 months. So far it's up 0.92% this year. The 5-year total return is -27.47%, meaning $10,000 invested in LUV stock 5 years ago would be worth $7,253 today. Total return includes price appreciation plus reinvesting any dividends paid out.

If you invested $10,000 in LUV 1 year ago, it would be worth $13,987 today — you'd have gained $3,987 with dividends reinvested.

With Dividends Reinvested$13,987+39.87%

Price Only (No DRIP)$13,705+37.05%

Dividend Boost+$2814 payments · +2.81% extra

Period2025-05-07 → 2026-05-06

Price

Total Return (DRIP)

Dividends

S&P 500

If You Invested $10,000 in LUV

1Y$14,149+$4,149 (+41.5%)41.5% CAGR

3Y$14,755+$4,755 (+47.5%)13.8% CAGR

5Y$7,253-$2,747 (-27.5%)-6.2% CAGR

10Y$11,090+$1,090 (+10.9%)1.0% CAGR

15Y$38,842+$28,842 (+288.4%)9.5% CAGR

20Y$28,842+$18,842 (+188.4%)5.4% CAGR

30Y$87,069+$77,069 (+770.7%)7.5% CAGR

Dividend Reinvestment History (4)▲ Hide

Ex-Date	Dividend	Reinvest Price	Shares Added
2025-06-18	$0.18	$31.16	+0.005777
2025-09-03	$0.18	$32.33	+0.005600
2025-12-26	$0.18	$41.28	+0.004410
2026-03-12	$0.18	$38.61	+0.004736

Loading LUV total return...

As of 2026-05-07

Returns at a Glance

Period	Total Return	CAGR	Price Only	Div. Contrib.	$10K →
YTD	+0.92%	—	+0.48%	+0.44 pp	$10,092
1Y	+41.49%	41.49%	+39.08%	+2.41 pp	$14,149
3Y	+47.55%	13.84%	+40.25%	+7.30 pp	$14,755
5Y	-27.47%	-6.22%	-31.62%	+4.15 pp	$7,253
10Y	+10.90%	1.04%	-0.55%	+11.45 pp	$11,090
15Y	+288.42%	9.47%	+242.69%	+45.73 pp	$38,842
20Y	+188.42%	5.44%	+153.98%	+34.44 pp	$28,842
30Y	+770.69%	7.48%	+664.26%	+106.43 pp	$87,069

Risk & Highlights

Best Year+124.15%2014

Worst Year-35.35%2011

Max Drawdown-33.78%2026-02-18 → 2026-03-30

Annual Returns

Year	Total Return	Price Return	Div.	S&P 500	vs S&P
2026YTD	+19.71%	+19.27%	+0.4pp	+0.41%	+19.3pp
2025	+26.01%	+23.85%	+2.2pp	+16.64%	+9.4pp
2024	+20.58%	+18.05%	+2.5pp	+24.00%	-3.4pp
2023	-8.65%	-11.41%	+2.8pp	+24.81%	-33.5pp
2022	-23.48%	-23.48%	—	-19.95%	-3.5pp

LUV outperformed the S&P 500 by 10.17pp over the past year (+41.49% vs +31.32%).

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LUV Peers' Total Return

Accurate peer set · 10 comparable names

Name	Mkt Cap	30D Rtn	YTD Total Rtn	1Y Total Rtn	Div Contrib	3Y Total Rtn	5Y Total Rtn	10Y Total Rtn
LUVSouthwest Airlines Co.	$20.4B	+8.7%	+0.9%	+41.5%	+2.4pp	+47.5%	-27.5%	+10.9%
DALDelta Air Lines, Inc.	$47.9B	+9.8%	+6.4%	+65.2%	+1.6pp	+119.0%	+66.7%	+89.5%
UALUnited Airlines Holdings, Inc.	$32.5B	+10.0%	-11.5%	+36.1%	—	+118.1%	+88.6%	+118.9%
AALAmerican Airlines Group Inc.	$8.5B	+18.7%	-16.4%	+24.1%	—	-9.9%	-39.8%	-56.3%
ULCCFrontier Group Holdings, Inc.	$1.1B	+33.9%	+4.6%	+39.4%	—	-41.0%	-76.1%	-74.6%
ALGTAllegiant Travel Company	$1.5B	-1.1%	-9.0%	+62.1%	—	-21.1%	-62.7%	-38.1%
JBLUJetBlue Airways Corporation	$1.9B	+10.3%	+9.8%	+14.5%	—	-28.7%	-73.9%	-73.5%
SKYWSkyWest, Inc.	$3.5B	-5.3%	-13.2%	-6.6%	—	+221.0%	+78.4%	+286.0%
MESAMesa Air Group, Inc.	$879M	—	+0.0%	+1958.8%	—	+944.8%	+89.7%	+78.7%
SNCYSun Country Airlines Holdings, Inc.	$897M	-0.1%	+14.3%	+47.3%	—	-8.3%	-55.4%	-54.5%
BAThe Boeing Company	$181.3B	+8.3%	+0.9%	+23.6%	—	+16.6%	+0.1%	+92.1%

Compare:LUV vs DAL LUV vs UAL LUV vs AAL LUV vs DAL vs UAL

About LUV Dividend Returns

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) is a dividend-paying stock. When dividends are reinvested through a DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan), they purchase additional shares, which then generate their own dividends—creating a compounding effect that can significantly boost long-term returns.

How We Calculate Total Return

Our total return calculator simulates dividend reinvestment (DRIP) by assuming each dividend payment is used to purchase additional shares at the closing price on the ex-dividend date. This methodology provides an accurate representation of how a dividend reinvestment plan would perform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1What is the total return of LUV over the past year?

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) delivered a total return of 41.49% over the past year when dividends are reinvested. The price-only return was 39.08%, meaning dividends contributed an additional 2.41 percentage points to total returns.

Q2How much would $10,000 invested in LUV be worth today?

A $10,000 investment in Southwest Airlines Co. one year ago would be worth $14,149 today with dividends reinvested (DRIP). Without reinvesting dividends, the same investment would be worth $13,908. Dividend reinvestment added $241 to the portfolio value.

Q3Does LUV pay dividends?

Yes, Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) pays dividends. In the last year, LUV paid approximately $0.72 per share in dividends (1.72% yield). Reinvesting these dividends through a DRIP can significantly boost long-term returns — over 20+ years, dividend compounding can account for 30–50% of total returns for dividend-paying stocks.

Q4Did LUV beat the S&P 500?

Yes, Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) outperformed the S&P 500 by 10.17 percentage points over the past year. LUV delivered a total return of 41.49%, compared to the S&P 500's 31.32%. This 10.17pp alpha means investors in LUV earned more than a passive S&P 500 index fund.

Q5What is LUV's worst drawdown?

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) experienced a maximum drawdown of -33.78% over the past year, declining from its peak on 2026-02-18 to its trough on 2026-03-30. The stock has not yet fully recovered to its prior peak. Maximum drawdown measures the worst peak-to-trough decline and is an important risk metric for investors.

Q6What is LUV's long-term total return over 10, 20, or 30 years?

Here are Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV)'s long-term returns with dividends reinvested. Over 10 years, the total return is 10.9% (1.0% CAGR) — $10,000 would have grown to $11,090. Over 20 years: 188.4% total return (5.4% CAGR) — $10,000 → $28,842. Over 30 years: 770.7% total return (7.5% CAGR) — $10,000 → $87,069. Long-term investors benefit from compounding: dividends buy additional shares, which generate their own dividends, creating an exponential growth effect.

Q7What was LUV's best and worst year?

Southwest Airlines Co.'s best calendar year was 2014 with a total return of 124.2%. Its worst year was 2011 with a total return of -35.3%. This range shows the volatility investors should expect — the difference between the best and worst year is 159.5 percentage points.