Banque Pictet & Cie SA Purchases New Stake in Southern Company (The) $SO

Key Points

• Banque Pictet & Cie SA purchased 32,186 shares of Southern Company during the third quarter, worth approximately $2.67 million. Institutional investors collectively own 64.1% of the stock.
• Southern’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with earnings of $1.13 per share versus the $1.01 consensus estimate, although revenue of $6.98 billion fell short of forecasts.
• Analysts remain cautious, with Southern carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $98.47 after several firms reduced their targets. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, yielding about 3.3% annually.

Banque Pictet & Cie SA purchased a new position in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 32,186 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,668,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in SO. Uptick Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Uptick Partners LLC now owns 7,601 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $734,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Seelaus Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Southern by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Seelaus Asset Management LLC now owns 4,923 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $475,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. KCM Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Southern by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 34,328 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,313,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG lifted its position in Southern by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 2,657 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $256,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in Southern by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 21,876 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,111,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Southern News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Southern’s profile as a dividend-paying electric utility may be attracting income-focused investors as electricity and other utility costs have risen substantially since 2021. The article discusses how much utility stock would be needed to offset an average monthly power bill, reinforcing the appeal of utility cash flows and dividends. The Average Electric Utility Bill Is $147 a Month. Here's How Much You'd Need in Utility Stocks to Cover It.
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its estimate for Southern’s third-quarter 2026 earnings to $1.74 per share from $1.66 and made small increases to its longer-term forecasts, including $5.37 for fiscal 2028, $5.77 for fiscal 2029 and $6.19 for fiscal 2030. These revisions suggest some confidence in longer-term earnings growth, despite the firm’s bearish rating. KeyCorp Weighs in on Southern's FY2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Georgia Power, Southern’s subsidiary, highlighted customer-assistance programs, payment options, rebates and energy-efficiency resources. The initiatives may support customer relationships and affordability but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Georgia Power highlights customer assistance and energy-saving resources during Energy Efficiency Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Southern has been receiving elevated attention from Zacks users, but the report provides no new fundamental development or recommendation that would clearly change the investment case. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Southern Company (The) (SO) is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp cut its fourth-quarter 2026 EPS estimate to $0.42 from $0.60 and maintained an “Underweight” rating with a $74 price target, well below the referenced trading level. JPMorgan also lowered its expectations for SO’s stock price. These actions could limit upside and signal valuation concerns. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Southern Stock Price Southern Stock Price Target Cut by KeyCorp

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Southern from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 19th. Mizuho set a $106.00 price objective on Southern in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Barclays dropped their price objective on Southern from $101.00 to $92.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Southern from $101.00 to $94.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on Southern from $97.00 to $93.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $98.47.

Southern Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of Southern stock opened at $91.12 on Friday. Southern Company has a 1 year low of $81.69 and a 1 year high of $99.58. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $87.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $92.17. The company has a market cap of $104.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.85, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $6.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.23 billion. Southern had a net margin of 15.43% and a return on equity of 12.93%. The business's quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Southern Company will post 4.59 EPS for the current year.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Southern's payout ratio is presently 72.90%.

Southern 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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