Southern (NYSE:SO – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 4.500-4.600 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.570. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Southern also updated its FY 2028 guidance to 5.250-5.450 EPS.
Southern Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:SO opened at $94.79 on Friday. Southern has a 12 month low of $83.80 and a 12 month high of $100.83. The stock has a market cap of $106.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.73, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.34. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $94.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $94.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.45.
Southern (NYSE:SO – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.12. Southern had a net margin of 15.43% and a return on equity of 12.93%. The company had revenue of $6.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. Southern’s revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Southern will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Southern Dividend Announcement
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SO shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. KeyCorp cut Southern from a “sector weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $79.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Seaport Research Partners downgraded Southern from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southern has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $100.26.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Southern
Key Headlines Impacting Southern
Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings beat expectations: Southern reported adjusted EPS of $1.13, above the $1.01 analyst consensus and up from $0.91 a year earlier. The company’s reported earnings were $1.2 billion, or $1.03 per share, compared with $0.9 billion, or $0.80 per share, in the prior-year quarter. Southern Co. Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates Southern Company Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Earnings
- Positive Sentiment: Capacity expansion is positioning the utility for load growth: Georgia Power is developing nearly 1,500 megawatts of new natural-gas generation and 500 megawatts of battery storage at Plant Bowen. The projects could support reliability and future demand from industrial customers and data centers, although they also require substantial capital investment. Georgia Power and Officials Celebrate Plant Bowen Investments
- Positive Sentiment: Energy-storage and AI demand provide longer-term catalysts: Georgia Power completed the Moody Battery Energy Storage System, expanding Southern’s regulated storage platform. Analysts also point to large-load contracts and a reported 25-year OpenAI power agreement as potential drivers of future utility demand. Southern Completes Moody Battery Project Southern Company AI Data Center Opportunity
- Neutral Sentiment: Revenue growth remained weak: Quarterly revenue was $6.98 billion, below the $7.23 billion consensus and up only 0.1% year over year, tempering the significance of the EPS beat. Southern Q2 Key Metrics Versus Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: Near-term guidance was slightly cautious: Third-quarter EPS guidance of $1.65 was below the $1.67 consensus, while the $4.50–$4.60 full-year 2026 range brackets but centers below the $4.57 estimate. The 2028 range of $5.25–$5.45, however, is at least in line with current expectations.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SO. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Southern by 17.5% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 34,003 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,127,000 after acquiring an additional 5,067 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in Southern by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 59,217 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,438,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter worth about $655,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Southern by 11.5% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 449,960 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $41,320,000 after buying an additional 46,504 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its position in shares of Southern by 2.7% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 514,736 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $47,268,000 after buying an additional 13,392 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.10% of the company’s stock.
About Southern
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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