Equity
Retained Earnings
Southwest Airlines Retained Earnings increased by 0.8% to $16.53B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 2.8%, from $16.08B to $16.53B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows an upward trend with a 2.1% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionEquity
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ4 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026Apr 23, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase signals strong historical profitability and reinvestment, while a decrease may indicate losses or significant dividend payouts.
Detailed definition
This represents the cumulative net income earned by the company since its inception, minus any dividends paid to shareho...
Peer comparison
A key metric for all established companies; growth rates are compared against peers to gauge long-term success.
Metric ID:
retained_earningsHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $15.26B | $15.71B | $15.77B | $15.55B | $16.31B | $16.59B | $16.26B | $16.00B | $16.57B | $16.66B | $16.30B | $15.96B | $16.22B | $16.18B | $16.33B | $16.08B | $16.20B | $16.16B | $16.39B | $16.53B |
| QoQ Change | — | +2.9% | +0.4% | -1.4% | +4.9% | +1.7% | -2.0% | -1.6% | +3.6% | +0.5% | -2.2% | -2.1% | +1.6% | -0.2% | +1.0% | -1.5% | +0.7% | -0.3% | +1.4% | +0.8% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +6.9% | +5.6% | +3.1% | +2.9% | +1.6% | +0.4% | +0.2% | -0.2% | -2.1% | -2.9% | +0.2% | +0.8% | -0.1% | -0.1% | +0.3% | +2.8% |
Range$15.26B – $16.66B
CAGR+1.7%
Avg YoY Growth+1.2%
Median YoY Growth+0.4%
Current Streak2 quarters growth
Retained Earnings at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Southwest Airlines's retained earnings?
- Southwest Airlines (LUV) reported retained earnings of $16.53B in Q1 2026.
- How has Southwest Airlines's retained earnings changed year-over-year?
- Southwest Airlines's retained earnings increased by 2.8% year-over-year, from $16.08B to $16.53B.
- What is the long-term trend for Southwest Airlines's retained earnings?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Southwest Airlines's retained earnings has grown at a 2.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $14.78B to $16.39B.
- What does retained earnings mean?
- The total accumulated profits the company has kept and reinvested rather than paying out as dividends.