Southern Company (The) $SO Position Reduced by American Century Companies Inc.

Key Points

• American Century Companies trimmed its stake in Southern Company by 77.7% in Q3, selling 995,610 shares and retaining 286,533 shares valued at about $27.16 million, while institutional investors collectively own roughly 64.1% of SO.
• Southern slightly missed on quarterly EPS at $0.55 versus a $0.56 consensus but reported revenue of $6.98 billion (up 10.1% YoY), and it pays a $0.74 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.0%) with a payout ratio of about 75%.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $98.08 (6 Buys, 12 Holds, 1 Sell), although recent upgrades include Evercore to Outperform ($111 target) and TD Cowen raising its target to $112.

American Century Companies Inc. trimmed its position in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) by 77.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 286,533 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 995,610 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc.'s holdings in Southern were worth $27,155,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.5% in the third quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 21,461 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,034,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Southern by 0.7% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,230 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,443,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Southern by 0.7% in the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 15,667 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,485,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Sara Bay Financial lifted its holdings in Southern by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sara Bay Financial now owns 4,133 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Southern by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,155 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $489,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of SO opened at $97.75 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $90.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $91.45. The stock has a market cap of $107.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.87, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.44. 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 Company has a one year low of $83.09 and a one year high of $100.83.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.01). Southern had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 12.52%. The firm had revenue of $6.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.50 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Southern Company will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $0.74 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Southern's dividend payout ratio is presently 75.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $102.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Southern from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $96.00 price objective on Southern and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $98.08.

Trending Headlines about Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore upgraded SO from "in-line" to "outperform" and set a $111 price target (~13.5% upside vs. the recent price). The upgrade signals increased conviction from a sell‑side shop and likely lifted buying interest. Street Insider
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its multi‑year earnings outlook for Southern — notably boosting FY2029 to $5.76/share (from $5.52) and lifting FY2026–FY2030 estimates across the board — which implies stronger future cash flow and supports higher valuation multiples. These upward revisions can justify more bullish price targets and help underpin the stock. MarketBeat
• Neutral Sentiment: KeyCorp left a "Sector Weight" rating on SO despite raising EPS forecasts; that suggests the firm is more confident in underlying earnings trends but not ready to move to an outright buy stance, so the impact may be more measured than a full‑throated upgrade. MarketBeat

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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