Head to head · SEC data as of July 18, 2026
Southwest
59
Quality score · out of 100
Delta
77
Quality score · out of 100
Delta comes in ahead: a quality score of 77 versus 59 for Southwest. Delta wins on net margin (5.8% vs 2.8%), ROE (18.1% vs 11.9%) and cash generation (FCF) (5.4% vs -1.3%). Southwest doesn't take a single major metric today.
| Metric | Southwest | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| Quality score (0-100) | 59 | 77 |
| Net margin | 2.8% | 5.8% |
| Gross margin | — | — |
| ROE | 11.9% | 18.1% |
| Net debt/EBITDA | 0.58× | 1.02× |
| FCF margin | -1.3% | 5.4% |
| Revenue growth (annualized) | 24.8% | 28.7% |
| Earnings growth (annualized) | -1.7% | 79% |
TTM metrics with official SEC data, refreshed daily. Bold green marks the winner of each metric. A dash means the metric doesn't apply or isn't reliable.
Southwest. Southwest Airlines is the original low-cost carrier: decades of cheap point-to-point flights, nothing but Boeing 737s and a famous culture. Pushed by an activist investor, it is breaking its historic taboos: assigned seats, premium fares and bag fees.
Delta. Delta Air Lines is America's best-run airline: a global network from Atlanta, a premium fleet and a loyalty program (SkyMiles) whose American Express partnership generates billions apart from flying. Selling seats is only half its story.
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What this comparison doesn't tell you
The score measures business quality, not whether the stock is cheap or expensive: the better company can be the worse investment if you overpay. For the valuation verdict, enter each one's current price in the analyzer:
Who has the stronger fundamentals today, Southwest or Delta?
By the StockSemáforo model (profitability, growth and financial strength, built on official SEC data), Delta scores higher: 77 versus 59 out of 100. The score is recomputed nightly with the latest filings.
Does that make Delta the better investment?
No. The score measures business quality, not valuation: an excellent company can trade at an excessive price and be a poor investment at that price. To find out whether it's cheap or expensive, enter its current quote in the StockSemáforo analyzer.
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Who's behind the methodology and model · how the score is computed
Data: official SEC filings (EDGAR) · Recomputed on July 18, 2026
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