Southern (NYSE:SO – Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 4.700-4.700 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.590. Southern also updated its FY 2028 guidance to 5.250-5.450 EPS.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Southern from $103.00 to $101.00 in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Southern from $101.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. KeyCorp cut their target price on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $74.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Eight 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Southern currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $97.24.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Southern
Southern Trading Up 0.4%
NYSE SO traded up $0.38 on Thursday, hitting $93.50. 15,867,626 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,927,408. Southern has a 52-week low of $81.69 and a 52-week high of $99.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market capitalization of $107.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $88.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $92.44.
Southern (NYSE:SO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $8.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.38 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 15.43%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.54 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Southern will post 4.59 EPS for the current year.
Southern Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. Southern’s payout ratio is presently 72.90%.
Trending Headlines about Southern
Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $1.94 topped the $1.71 consensus, while revenue of $8.84 billion exceeded the $8.38 billion estimate and rose 13% year over year. Separately, Southern reported GAAP earnings per share of $1.77, up from $1.55 a year earlier. Southern Co. Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates Southern Company reports third-quarter 2026 earnings
- Positive Sentiment: Full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $4.70 is above the $4.59 consensus, signaling a stronger annual outlook.
- Positive Sentiment: 2028 EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45 matches consensus at the low end and exceeds it at the midpoint, suggesting potential for longer-term earnings growth.
- Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.30 is below the $0.44 consensus, a near-term shortfall that could temper the positive reaction to the quarterly beat.
Southern Company Profile
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an energy holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Through its subsidiaries, the company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity, while also providing natural gas distribution and related energy services.
Southern’s electric utility operations include Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power, which serve customers across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. The company’s generation portfolio includes nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources.
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