Which has the lower trailing P/E, LUV or NDSN?

LUV has the lower trailing P/E: LUV trades at 26.06 and NDSN at 33.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, LUV or NDSN?

Over the past five years, LUV grew revenue faster — LUV at a 24.97% CAGR versus NDSN at 5.12%.

Does LUV or NDSN pay a bigger dividend?

LUV yields 1.70% and NDSN yields 1.02% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is LUV or NDSN more profitable?

NDSN runs the higher net margin — LUV at 2.78% versus NDSN at 18.63%.

How have LUV and NDSN total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, LUV delivered 2.14% and NDSN delivered 14.04% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) vs Nordson Corporation (NDSN)

A side-by-side comparison of Southwest Airlines Co. and Nordson Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 3, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

LUV

Southwest Airlines Co.

$20.78B

$42.47IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

NDSN

Nordson Corporation

$18.58B

$333.54IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — LUV vs NDSN

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

LUV +20.9% (+1.9%/yr)NDSN +276.1% (+14.2%/yr)NDSN compounded faster over this window

LUV NDSN

LUV vs NDSN: by the numbers

•LUV is the larger company ($20.78B vs $18.58B market cap).
•LUV trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (26.06 vs 33.72 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•NDSN converts more revenue to profit (18.63% vs 2.78% net margin).
•LUV grew revenue faster over the past five years (24.97% vs 5.12% CAGR).
•LUV pays the higher dividend yield (1.70% vs 1.02%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	LUV	NDSN
P/E ratio	26.06	33.72
Forward P/E	13.79	27.94
PEG ratio	N/A	2.28
P/S ratio	0.69	6.24
P/B ratio	2.93	5.68
EV / EBITDA	9.31	21.39
FCF yield	N/A	3.92%

Profitability

Metric	LUV	NDSN
Gross margin	17.44%	55.29%
Operating margin	3.46%	26.88%
Net margin	2.78%	18.63%
ROE	11.82%	16.98%
ROIC	4.30%	12.16%

Dividends

Metric	LUV	NDSN
Dividend yield	1.70%	1.02%
Payout ratio	44.17%	34.38%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	LUV	NDSN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	24.97%	5.12%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	N/A	14.66%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	6.76%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-3.17%	8.11%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, LUV or NDSN?: LUV has the lower trailing P/E: LUV trades at 26.06 and NDSN at 33.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, LUV or NDSN?: Over the past five years, LUV grew revenue faster — LUV at a 24.97% CAGR versus NDSN at 5.12%.
Does LUV or NDSN pay a bigger dividend?: LUV yields 1.70% and NDSN yields 1.02% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is LUV or NDSN more profitable?: NDSN runs the higher net margin — LUV at 2.78% versus NDSN at 18.63%.
How have LUV and NDSN total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, LUV delivered 2.14% and NDSN delivered 14.04% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full LUV analysis Full NDSN analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Southwest Airlines P/E ratio Nordson P/E ratio Southwest Airlines dividend yield Nordson dividend yield Southwest Airlines ROE Nordson ROE Southwest Airlines operating margin Nordson operating margin Southwest Airlines revenue growth Nordson revenue growth Southwest Airlines free cash flow Nordson free cash flow

Southwest Airlines & Nordson appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 3, 2026.