Calamos Advisors LLC Makes New $16.33 Million Investment in Southern Company (The) $SO

Key Points

• Calamos Advisors initiated a $16.33 million stake in Southern Company, buying 197,008 shares in the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 64.1% of the utility’s stock.
• Southern reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $1.94, above the $1.71 consensus, while revenue rose 13% year over year to $8.84 billion. Management cited data-center demand and 21 GW of large-load contracts as growth drivers, though fourth-quarter EPS guidance was below analysts’ expectations.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $97.24. Southern also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of about 3.3%.

Calamos Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 197,008 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $16,330,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Southern in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SO has been the topic of a number of research reports. HSBC initiated coverage on Southern in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $99.50 price target on the stock. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on Southern from $103.00 to $93.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Southern from $85.00 to $84.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Southern from $97.00 to $93.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on Southern from $101.00 to $92.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $97.24.

Southern Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE SO opened at $92.16 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $88.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $92.48. The company has a market capitalization of $106.02 billion, a PE ratio of 20.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.30. Southern Company has a 12-month low of $81.69 and a 12-month high of $99.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.23. Southern had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The business had revenue of $8.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.38 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.54 EPS. The company's revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Southern Company will post 4.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Southern's dividend payout ratio is 69.25%.

Key Stories Impacting Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.94 beat the $1.71 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 13% year over year to $8.84 billion, also ahead of expectations. The company’s earnings release reported $1.77 per share on its stated basis, compared with $1.55 a year earlier. Article: Southern Co. Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted surging data-center demand and 21 GW of large-load contracts. Its 2026 EPS guidance of $4.70 is above the $4.59 consensus, and 2028 guidance of $5.25–$5.45 spans from consensus to above it—supporting the longer-term growth outlook. Article: Southern Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Growth and Capital Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: A potential $100 billion capital plan could enable investment to serve rising electricity demand, but its eventual scale and funding needs remain considerations for investors. Article: Southern Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Growth and Capital Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $0.30 is below analysts’ $0.44 estimate. That near-term shortfall may temper the positive reaction to the quarterly beat and full-year guidance. Article: Southern Company Q3 Earnings Report

Southern Company Profile

Southern Company is an energy holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Through its subsidiaries, it generates, transmits and distributes electricity and provides natural gas service, primarily across the southeastern United States.

Its electric utility businesses include Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power, which serve customers in their respective states. Southern Company also owns Southern Power, which develops and operates wholesale power generation assets, and Southern Company Gas, whose businesses distribute natural gas to customers in several states.

Formed in 1945, Southern Company has grown from a regional electric utility holding company into a diversified energy provider.

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