JBLU vs LUV Stock Comparison
LUV currently leads JBLU in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 51 vs 35. The clearest difference is quality.
What is the main difference between JBLU and LUV?
LUV leads the current stock comparison as Southwest Airlines Co., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
JetBlue Airways Corporation vs Southwest Airlines Co.
LUV leads
LUV leads by 16 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience, but the lead has narrowed from 19 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors JBLU on target upside.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support LUV, and its lead is narrowing.
JetBlue Airways Corporation
Southwest Airlines Co.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors LUV over JBLU, 51 versus 35 as of Oct 21, 2026. LUV's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience. LUV also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors JBLU. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor LUV today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. LUV lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 19 to 16 points over 30 sessions.
Compare JetBlue Airways Corporation and Southwest Airlines Co. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare JBLU and LUV against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality21 vs 54LUV +33
- Risk Resilience19 vs 50LUV +31
- Momentum25 vs 33LUV +8
- Value65 vs 62Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor LUV. LUV’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 8 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +6
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
LUV's lead widened by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — JBLU and LUV both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
LUV (Southwest Airlines Co.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.
JBLU (JetBlue Airways Corporation): the counter-case, on analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 54.1% against 31.5%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
LUVLUV on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
JBLUJBLU on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
LUVLUV on the Momentum factor, by 8 points.
Lower downside
LUVLUV on Risk Resilience, by 31 points.
Analyst upside
JBLUJBLU on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors LUV, analyst targets favor JBLU. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | JBLU | LUV | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +80.2% | +30.6% | JBLU has more room |
| Target dispersion | +85.2% | +55.5% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Sell | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 6 | 10 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor LUV. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | LUV | 35 vs 51 |
| Fundamentals | LUVon balance | revenue growth 20.4% vs 16.3%; EPS growth 23% vs 6.7%; TTM ROE -45.5% vs 11.3%; gross margin 46.8% vs 61%; operating margin -5.9% vs 3.5% — LUV takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | Even | Value 65 vs 62 |
| Technicals | LUV | Price vs 50-day -33.4% vs -2.5%; vs 200-day -41.9% vs -8.8% |
| Risk Resilience | LUV | Risk Resilience 19 vs 50 |
| Analyst expectations | JBLU | Target upside 80.2% vs 30.6% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of JBLU and LUV and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 16 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on LUV.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20LUV lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 19 to 16 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- LUV +16
- 35 vs 51
- 7 sessions ago
- LUV +16
- 35 vs 51
- 30 sessions ago
- LUV +19
- 39 vs 58
- 90 sessions ago
- LUV +12
- 38 vs 50
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 5 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
Only JBLU
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (7.00%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
- 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (0.0%)
0 bullish / 3 bearish / 1 neutral
No signal that the other name lacks.
Both carry 4 more signals that do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, Death Cross Active, Downtrend Structure Active, MACD Bearish Crossover.
JBLU is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.69%, AIQ 0 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.58%, AIQ +2 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1JBLU closes the Quality gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to LUV's edge.
- 2JBLU's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3LUV starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 3 points over 30 sessions, and a further 16-point move would eliminate LUV's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
LUV leads on balance| Metric | JBLU | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 20.4% | 16.3% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 23% | 6.7% |
| Gross margin | 46.8% | 61% |
| Operating margin | -5.9% | 3.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | -45.5% | 11.3% |
| Debt to equity | 5.91 | 0.97 |
Performance
LUV leads 6 of 6 windows| Metric | JBLU | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -13.1% | -2.5% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -33.3% | -5.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -43.6% | -16.8% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -46.7% | -3.1% |
| Year to date | -33.6% | -4.1% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -39% | 19.1% |
Technicals
LUV has the stronger structure| Metric | JBLU | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 8.8 | 40.2 |
| ADX (14) | 46.1 | 13.5 |
| Price vs 50-day | -33.4% | -2.5% |
| Price vs 200-day | -41.9% | -8.8% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 54.1% | 31.5% |
Risk
LUV is the more resilient| Metric | JBLU | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 2.17 | 1.62 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.49 | 0.51 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.9 | 0.94 |
| Max drawdown | -55% | -33.8% |
| Current drawdown | -55% | -27.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 63.5% | 44.4% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -6.2% | -3.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, JBLU or LUV?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, LUV is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 51 against JBLU's 35. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is JBLU or LUV the better buy right now?
LUV carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor LUV over JBLU?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. LUV leads Quality by 33 points; LUV leads Risk Resilience by 31 points; LUV leads Momentum by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, JBLU or LUV?
Analyst price targets imply +80.2% upside for JBLU and +30.6% for LUV, so the Street currently favors JBLU. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors LUV. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, JBLU or LUV?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, JBLU or LUV?
JBLU on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, JBLU or LUV?
LUV on the Momentum factor, by 8 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, JBLU or LUV?
LUV is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. LUV on Risk Resilience, by 31 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is JBLU more profitable than LUV?
LUV leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 46.8% vs 61%; operating margin -5.9% vs 3.5%; ttm roe -45.5% vs 11.3%.
Is LUV's lead over JBLU getting stronger or weaker?
LUV lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 19 to 16 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has not changed hands in that window.
What would change the JBLU vs LUV verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: JBLU closes the Quality gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to LUV's edge; JBLU's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; LUV starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 3 points over 30 sessions, and a further 16-point move would eliminate LUV's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about JBLU and LUV?
JBLU: 1 bullish / 5 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. LUV: 0 bullish / 3 bearish / 1 neutral. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on JBLU is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On LUV it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare JBLU and LUV with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.