Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO – Free Report) by 6.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 99,083 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,315 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Southern were worth $8,640,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in SO. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 108,057,413 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $9,422,606,000 after purchasing an additional 1,643,090 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in Southern by 22.6% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 41,142,076 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,587,589,000 after purchasing an additional 7,593,224 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in Southern by 18.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 34,459,462 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,004,866,000 after purchasing an additional 5,436,212 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Southern by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 27,259,125 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,381,344,000 after buying an additional 384,860 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Southern during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,111,450,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Southern news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.67, for a total transaction of $2,416,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 103,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,015,205.34. This trade represents a 19.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.
Southern Stock Performance
Southern (NYSE:SO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $8.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.07 billion. Southern had a net margin of 14.46% and a return on equity of 12.64%. The company’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Southern Company will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Southern Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from Southern’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. Southern’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.35%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have recently commented on SO shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $87.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, April 10th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $104.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $102.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Southern from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Southern presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $99.32.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Southern
Southern Company Profile
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an Atlanta-based energy holding company that provides electric and gas utility services and owns power generation assets across the United States. Founded in 1945, the company operates a portfolio of regulated electric utilities and affiliated businesses that generate, transmit and distribute electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Southern’s principal regulated electric subsidiaries include Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power, which serve large portions of the southeastern United States.
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