Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. Acquires 104,570 Shares of Southern Company (The) $SO

Key Points

• Lockheed Martin Investment Management boosted its stake in Southern Company by 69.7% in the fourth quarter, adding 104,570 shares and bringing its total holding to 254,540 shares worth about $22.2 million.
• Southern beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting EPS of $1.32 versus $1.21 expected and revenue of $8.40 billion versus $8.07 billion forecast. Revenue also rose 8.0% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 per share from $0.74, giving it an annualized payout of $3.04 and a dividend yield of 3.3%.

Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) by 69.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 254,540 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 104,570 shares during the period. Southern accounts for 0.7% of Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co.'s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Southern were worth $22,196,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Southern by 77.8% during the fourth quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 20,754 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,810,000 after purchasing an additional 9,081 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI grew its position in shares of Southern by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 13,254 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,156,000 after purchasing an additional 2,488 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC grew its position in shares of Southern by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 35,183 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $3,068,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Phoenix Financial Ltd. grew its position in shares of Southern by 205.5% in the fourth quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 10,380 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $904,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Advisory Team LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter valued at about $398,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southern Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE SO opened at $92.56 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $95.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $91.80. The company has a market capitalization of $104.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.45. Southern Company has a 1 year low of $83.80 and a 1 year high of $100.83.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $8.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.07 billion. Southern had a net margin of 14.46% and a return on equity of 12.64%. The business's revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Southern Company will post 4.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is an increase from Southern's previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 75.32%.

Insider Activity at Southern

In other news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 6,669 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.55, for a total value of $643,891.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,973,740. This represents a 17.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.67, for a total transaction of $2,416,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 103,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,015,205.34. This represents a 19.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on SO. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Southern from $94.00 to $92.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho set a $105.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Southern from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Southern from $88.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $99.85.

Southern Company 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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