Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Southwest Airlines LUV.
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don’t know. But when something this big happens with LUV, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did?
Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 12 uncommon options trades for Southwest Airlines.
This isn’t normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 75% bullish and 8%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 6 are puts, for a total amount of $647,412, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $218,929.
What’s The Price Target?
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $30.0 to $45.0 for Southwest Airlines over the recent three months.
Volume & Open Interest Development
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Southwest Airlines’s options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Southwest Airlines’s whale activity within a strike price range from $30.0 to $45.0 in the last 30 days.
Southwest Airlines Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days
Noteworthy Options Activity:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUV | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 07/18/25 | $0.2 | $0.19 | $0.19 | $35.00 | $247.0K | 3.8K | 50 |
| LUV | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 08/15/25 | $2.5 | $2.42 | $2.43 | $37.50 | $243.3K | 190 | 1.0K |
| LUV | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 07/18/25 | $0.97 | $0.92 | $0.93 | $37.50 | $65.1K | 3 | 723 |
| LUV | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 11/21/25 | $3.85 | $3.8 | $3.85 | $35.00 | $51.5K | 1.2K | 134 |
| LUV | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 11/21/25 | $7.7 | $7.55 | $7.55 | $30.00 | $41.5K | 506 | 55 |
About Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is the largest domestic air carrier in the United States by passengers boarded. Southwest operates nearly 800 aircraft in an all-Boeing 737 fleet. Despite offering some longer routes and a few perks for business travelers, the airline predominantly specializes in short-haul, leisure flights operated in a single, open-seating cabin configuration in a point-to-point network. In late 2025, Southwest will modify its cabins to offer some seats with extra legroom and will update its ticketing process and merchandising to offer assigned seats and more fare categories including a basic economy class that will more directly compete with other airlines’ offerings.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Southwest Airlines, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
Where Is Southwest Airlines Standing Right Now?
- With a trading volume of 11,063,504, the price of LUV is up by 2.23%, reaching $35.31.
- Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought.
- Next earnings report is scheduled for 14 days from now.
Expert Opinions on Southwest Airlines
A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $34.0.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge’s Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.
* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Barclays keeps a Equal-Weight rating on Southwest Airlines with a target price of $34.
* An analyst from UBS persists with their Neutral rating on Southwest Airlines, maintaining a target price of $34.
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Southwest Airlines options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.
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