Meeder Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 25,679 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,458,000.
A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Evergreen Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southern during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in Southern during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Southern in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Southern Price Performance
SO opened at $92.12 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $94.69 and a 200-day moving average of $94.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $105.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.09, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.34. Southern Company has a 12-month low of $83.80 and a 12-month high of $100.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62.
Southern Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. Southern’s payout ratio is currently 72.90%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Southern from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Barclays reduced their price objective on Southern from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $104.00 target price on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $100.09.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on SO
Southern 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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