Vanguard reports 7.25% stake in Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co ownership filing shows Vanguard Capital Management reports beneficial ownership of 35,624,805 shares of Common Stock, equal to 7.25% of the class as of 03/31/2026.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Southwest Airlines Co ownership filing shows Vanguard Capital Management reports beneficial ownership of 35,624,805 shares of Common Stock, equal to 7.25% of the class as of 03/31/2026. The filing discloses sole dispositive power over 35,624,805 shares and sole voting power over 3,980,173 shares. The filing is signed on 04/30/2026 by Ashley Grim.

Insights

Institutional Ownership Analyst

Vanguard holds a sizable passive stake (7.25%) with dispositive control but limited sole voting power.

Vanguard Capital Management reports beneficial ownership of 35,624,805 shares and sole dispositive power over the same amount, indicating control of sale decisions across managed accounts. Sole voting power is reported as 3,980,173 shares, showing voting authority is concentrated in a subset of holdings.

Ownership appears aggregated across funds/managed accounts under Vanguard's reporting unit per the filing. Voting outcomes and potential block trades will depend on which specific funds exercise the voting power and any internal allocation rules; subsequent filings would show changes.

Key Figures

Beneficial ownership: 35,624,805 shares Percent of class: 7.25% Sole voting power: 3,980,173 shares +3 more

6 metrics

Beneficial ownership 35,624,805 shares as of 03/31/2026

Percent of class 7.25% percent of common stock

Sole voting power 3,980,173 shares reported voting authority

Sole dispositive power 35,624,805 shares authority to direct disposition

Filing type Schedule 13G passive/institutional ownership report

Signature date 04/30/2026 filing signed by Ashley Grim

Key Terms

Schedule 13G, Beneficial ownership, Sole dispositive power, Sole voting power, +1 more

5 terms

Schedule 13G regulatory

"reports beneficial ownership of 35,624,805 shares"

A Schedule 13G is a formal document that investors file with the government when they acquire a large ownership stake in a company, usually for investment purposes rather than control. It helps keep the public informed about who owns significant parts of a company's shares, which can influence how the company is managed and how investors make decisions. Filing this schedule is important for transparency and understanding the ownership landscape of publicly traded companies.

Beneficial ownership financial

"Amount beneficially owned: 35624805"

Beneficial ownership means the person or entity that actually enjoys the benefits of owning shares or other assets — such as receiving dividends, voting rights, or price gains — even if the legal title is held in another name. For investors it matters because knowing who truly controls and profits from a company reveals who can influence decisions, exposes potential conflicts of interest or hidden concentration of power, and affects transparency and risk in the stock.

Sole dispositive power regulatory

"Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 35624805"

Sole dispositive power is the exclusive legal authority to decide what happens to a security — for example, whether to sell, transfer, or retain shares — without needing anyone else’s permission. Investors care because it signals who truly controls the economic outcome of an investment: like holding the only key to a safe, the holder can realize gains or losses and may trigger regulatory reporting, insider rules, or influence over corporate ownership.

Sole voting power regulatory

"Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 3980173"

Sole voting power is the exclusive right to cast votes attached to a shareholder’s stock without needing approval from anyone else. Like holding the only remote control for a TV, it lets that holder decide corporate matters such as board members, mergers, and policy changes, making it important to investors because it concentrates control and can strongly influence a company’s strategy and the value of its shares.

Investment Company Act of 1940 regulatory

"investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940"

A U.S. federal law that sets the rulebook for pooled investment vehicles such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and similar money managers, requiring them to register with regulators, disclose holdings and fees, limit conflicts of interest, and follow governance standards. It matters to investors because these protections and transparency rules act like a referee and scoreboard, helping people compare funds, trust that managers follow fair practices, and spot hidden costs or risks.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What stake does Vanguard Capital Management report in Southwest Airlines (LUV)?

Vanguard reports beneficial ownership of 35,624,805 shares, representing 7.25% of common stock as of 03/31/2026. The filing indicates sole dispositive power over those shares and sole voting power over 3,980,173 shares.

Does Vanguard have voting control over all the shares it reports for LUV?

No. Vanguard reports sole voting power for 3,980,173 shares, not for the full 35,624,805 shares. Dispositive power covers the full amount while voting power is limited to a subset of shares.

What does "sole dispositive power" mean in the Vanguard LUV filing?

Sole dispositive power means Vanguard has authority to direct sales of the reported 35,624,805 shares. The filing states this control applies across Vanguard funds and managed accounts within the reporting business unit.

What date do the ownership figures in Vanguard's LUV Schedule 13G refer to?

The ownership figures are reported as of 03/31/2026. The Schedule 13G is signed and filed on 04/30/2026, per the signature by Ashley Grim noted in the filing.

Is Vanguard reporting on behalf of specific funds or clients in the LUV filing?

The filing states the stake is reported by Vanguard Capital Management and includes securities held by Vanguard funds and managed accounts. It aggregates holdings across the reporting business unit rather than naming individual funds.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

Accepted by SEC EDGAR 04/30/2026 - 01:58 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Southwest Airlines Co

(Name of Issuer)

Common Stock

(Title of Class of Securities)

844741108

(CUSIP Number)

03/31/2026

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed:

Rule 13d-1(b)

Rule 13d-1(c)

Rule 13d-1(d)

schemaVersion:

SCHEDULE 13G

CUSIP Number(s): 844741108

1

Names of Reporting Persons

Vanguard Capital Management

2

Check the appropriate box if a member of a Group (see instructions)

(a)
(b)

3

Sec Use Only

4

Citizenship or Place of Organization

PENNSYLVANIA

Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With:

5	Sole Voting Power 3,980,173.00
6	Shared Voting Power 0.00
7	Sole Dispositive Power 35,624,805.00
8	Shared Dispositive Power 0.00

9

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person

35,624,805.00

10

Check box if the aggregate amount in row (9) excludes certain shares (See Instructions)

11

Percent of class represented by amount in row (9)

7.25 %

12

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)

IA

Comment for Type of Reporting Person: In accordance with SEC Release No. 34-39538 (January 12, 1998), this Schedule 13G reflects the securities beneficially owned, or deemed to be beneficially owned, by Vanguard Capital Management LLC and the following affiliates of Vanguard Capital Management LLC or business divisions of such affiliates: Vanguard Asset Management Limited, Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company, Vanguard Global Advisers, LLC and Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd. This Schedule 13G includes securities held by Vanguard funds, or sleeves thereof, over which Vanguard Capital Management LLC exercises dispositive power, in addition to securities held by clients over which the affiliates or business divisions of such affiliates indicated above exercise dispositive and/or voting power. This Schedule 13G does not include securities, if any, beneficially owned by other subsidiaries or affiliates of Vanguard Capital Management LLC, or business divisions of such subsidiaries, whose ownership of securities is disaggregated from that of the reporting business unit in accordance with such release.

SCHEDULE 13G

Item 1.
(a)	Name of issuer: Southwest Airlines Co
(b)	Address of issuer's principal executive offices: PO Box 36611, Dallas, TX, 75235
Item 2.
(a)	Name of person filing: Vanguard Capital Management
(b)	Address or principal business office or, if none, residence: 100 Vanguard Blvd,, Malvern, PA, 19355
(c)	Citizenship: PA
(d)	Title of class of securities: Common Stock
(e)	CUSIP Number(s): 844741108
Item 3.	If this statement is filed pursuant to §§ 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:
(a)	Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o);
(b)	Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);
(c)	Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);
(d)	Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8);
(e)	An investment adviser in accordance with § 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);
(f)	An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with § 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);
(g)	A parent holding company or control person in accordance with § 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);
(h)	A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);
(i)	A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3);
(j)	A non-U.S. institution in accordance with § 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with § 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution:
(k)	Group, in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K).
Item 4.	Ownership
(a)	Amount beneficially owned: 35624805
(b)	Percent of class: 7.25 %
(c)	Number of shares as to which the person has:
	(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 3980173
	(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 0
	(iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 35624805
	(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 0
Item 5.	Ownership of 5 Percent or Less of a Class.
	Not Applicable
Item 6.	Ownership of more than 5 Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
	If any other person is known to have the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, such securities, a statement to that effect should be included in response to this item and, if such interest relates to more than 5 percent of the class, such person should be identified. A listing of the shareholders of an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the beneficiaries of employee benefit plan, pension fund or endowment fund is not required. Vanguard Capital Management, including investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and other managed accounts, have the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the securities reported herein.No one other person's interest in the securities reported herein is more than 5%.
Item 7.	Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company or Control Person.
	Not Applicable
Item 8.	Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
	Not Applicable
Item 9.	Notice of Dissolution of Group.
	Not Applicable

Item 10.

Certifications:

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect, other than activities solely in connection with a nomination under § 240.14a-11.

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Vanguard Capital Management

Signature:	Ashley Grim
Name/Title:	Head of Global Fund Administration
Date:	04/30/2026