New York State Teachers Retirement System Decreases Stock Holdings in Southern Company (The) $SO

Key Points

• New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its stake in Southern Company by 2.0%, selling 15,706 shares and leaving it with 782,470 shares worth about $68.23 million; institutional investors own roughly 64.1% of the stock.
• Southern beat Q1 expectations with adjusted EPS of $1.32 (vs. $1.21 est.) and revenue of $8.40B (vs. $8.07B), and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 (annualized $3.04, ~3.1% yield).
• Insider selling occurred recently: CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 25,000 shares (a 19.44% reduction in her holdings) and EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 6,669 shares, leaving insiders with about 0.16% ownership.

New York State Teachers Retirement System lowered its position in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 782,470 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 15,706 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.07% of Southern worth $68,231,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of SO. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Southern in the third quarter worth $25,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in Southern during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southern Stock Performance

SO opened at $96.66 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $95.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $92.12. Southern Company has a 1 year low of $83.09 and a 1 year high of $100.83. The stock has a market cap of $109.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.47.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $8.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.07 billion. Southern had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 12.52%. The firm's revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Southern Company will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from Southern's previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.35%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, April 10th. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Southern from an "underweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Seaport Research Partners lowered shares of Southern from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $96.00 target price on shares of Southern and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $104.00 price target on shares of Southern and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Southern presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $99.08.

Insider Activity

In other Southern news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 25,000 shares of the firm'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 value of $2,416,750.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 103,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,015,205.34. This trade represents a 19.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 6,669 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,973,740. The trade was a 17.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Southern News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat across the board — adjusted EPS of $1.32 topped consensus and revenue of $8.40B exceeded estimates, driven by stronger power demand that lifted margins and top-line growth. This is the main catalyst for the stock moving up. Southern Co beats first-quarter profit estimates as power demand soars
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and profitability metrics are reinforcing the bullish case — Wells Fargo recently nudged its price target higher and the company sits among more profitable renewable/utility peers, helping investor confidence. Why Southern Company (SO) May Be Quietly Gaining Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Management continues to emphasize a long-term clean-energy pivot, which investors view positively for growth and regulatory alignment over time. Southern Company: Positive Long-Term Clean Energy Pivot
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year 2026 EPS guidance was updated to a range (4.50–4.60) that sits roughly around consensus — this reduces surprise risk but offers limited upside. Southern Company reports first-quarter 2026 earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term FY2028 EPS guidance was provided in a range largely consistent with expectations, giving visibility but not a clear catalyst. Southern Company reports first-quarter 2026 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 EPS guidance of $1.00 came in below consensus (~$1.02), which could temper near-term upside and is a reason for caution among short-term traders. Southern Company reports first-quarter 2026 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Relative-valuation / competitive note — some analysts argue peers like Vistra may offer a stronger risk/reward due to cheaper valuation and an aggressive nuclear push, which could shift investor preference away from SO. Vistra or Southern Co.: Which Utility Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.