Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. Get Southwest Airlines alerts:Southwest Airlines Announces DividendThe firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Southwest Airlines Company Profile(Get Free Report)Southwest Airlines Co is a U.S.-based low-cost carrier that operates a point-to-point domestic and near-international airline network. Founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Company, Southwest began commercial service in 1971, initially connecting Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Recommended StoriesReceive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.