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

LUV has the lower trailing P/E: LUV trades at 27.15 and STRL at 41.56. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, LUV or STRL?

Over the past five years, LUV grew revenue faster — LUV at a 24.97% CAGR versus STRL at 18.89%.

Does LUV or STRL pay a bigger dividend?

LUV pays a dividend (1.63% yield), while STRL is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Is LUV or STRL more profitable?

STRL runs the higher net margin — LUV at 2.78% versus STRL at 12.55%.

How have LUV and STRL total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, LUV delivered 3.19% and STRL delivered 57.34% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) vs Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL)

A side-by-side comparison of Southwest Airlines Co. and Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 17, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

LUV

Southwest Airlines Co.

$21.32B

$43.59IndustrialsDelayed quote: Aug 17, 2026, 1:35 PM EDT

STRL

Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.

$18.46B

$601.43IndustrialsDelayed quote: Aug 17, 2026, 1:35 PM EDT

Total return — LUV vs STRL

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

LUV +37.5% (+3.2%/yr)STRL +8768.9% (+56.6%/yr)STRL compounded faster over this window

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

LUV STRL

LUV vs STRL: by the numbers

•LUV is the larger company ($21.32B vs $18.46B market cap).
•LUV trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (27.15 vs 41.56 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•STRL converts more revenue to profit (12.55% vs 2.78% net margin).
•LUV grew revenue faster over the past five years (24.97% vs 18.89% CAGR).
•LUV pays a dividend (1.63% yield), while STRL is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	LUV	STRL
P/E ratio	27.15	41.56
Forward P/E	12.93	29.58
P/S ratio	0.73	5.22
P/B ratio	3.11	13.21
EV / EBITDA	9.80	24.95
FCF yield	N/A	2.68%

Profitability

Metric	LUV	STRL
Gross margin	17.44%	23.59%
Operating margin	3.46%	18.06%
Net margin	2.78%	12.55%
ROE	11.82%	31.79%
ROIC	1.79%	19.06%

Dividends

Metric	LUV	STRL
Dividend yield	1.63%	N/A
Payout ratio	87.80%	N/A

Growth (annualized)

Metric	LUV	STRL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	24.97%	18.89%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	N/A	44.28%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	32.42%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-0.98%	90.18%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, LUV or STRL?: LUV has the lower trailing P/E: LUV trades at 27.15 and STRL at 41.56. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, LUV or STRL?: Over the past five years, LUV grew revenue faster — LUV at a 24.97% CAGR versus STRL at 18.89%.
Does LUV or STRL pay a bigger dividend?: LUV pays a dividend (1.63% yield), while STRL is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.
Is LUV or STRL more profitable?: STRL runs the higher net margin — LUV at 2.78% versus STRL at 12.55%.
How have LUV and STRL total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, LUV delivered 3.19% and STRL delivered 57.34% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full LUV analysis Full STRL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Southwest Airlines & Sterling Infrastructure appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC 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 August 17, 2026.