Southern Company (The) $SO Stake Boosted by Griffith & Werner Inc.

Key Points

• Griffith & Werner increased its Southern Company stake by 16.1% in the third quarter, adding 11,036 shares to own 79,527 shares valued at $6.59 million.
• Southern’s third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.94 beat estimates, and revenue rose 13% year over year to $8.84 billion. Management cited data-center demand and 21 GW of large-load contracts, with 2026 EPS guidance of $4.70.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to $3.04 annually and a 3.3% yield.

Griffith & Werner Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) by 16.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 79,527 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 11,036 shares during the period. Southern comprises 2.1% of Griffith & Werner Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Griffith & Werner Inc.'s holdings in Southern were worth $6,592,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SO. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Southern by 4.9% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 8,380,592 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $808,895,000 after acquiring an additional 392,210 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Southern in the second quarter valued at $737,256,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in Southern by 9.8% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,681,674 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $543,793,000 after acquiring an additional 508,149 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in shares of Southern by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,785,562 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $313,785,000 after purchasing an additional 19,239 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its position in shares of Southern by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 3,231,400 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $311,895,000 after purchasing an additional 216,900 shares in the last quarter. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southern Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of SO stock opened at $92.16 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $107.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. Southern Company has a fifty-two week low of $81.69 and a fifty-two week high of $99.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $88.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $92.48.

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

Southern Announces Dividend

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

More Southern News

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on SO shares. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Southern from $100.00 to $92.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Southern from $103.00 to $101.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Southern from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday. Scotiabank lowered their target price on shares of Southern from $103.00 to $93.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Southern from $85.00 to $84.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $97.24.

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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