Swedbank AB Invests $4.02 Million in Southern Company (The) $SO

Key Points

• Swedbank AB has made a new investment in Southern Company, acquiring 43,739 shares valued at approximately $4.02 million.
• Southern Company reported a missed earnings estimate for the last quarter, posting $0.91 EPS compared to the expected $0.99, despite achieving a revenue of $6.97 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.74 per share, representing an annual yield of 3.2% and a payout ratio of 76.09%.

Swedbank AB purchased a new position in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 43,739 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,022,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Investors Research Corp boosted its stake in Southern by 400.0% during the first quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 270 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Cheviot Value Management LLC purchased a new stake in Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Southern

In other news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 13,158 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total transaction of $1,250,010.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 93,661 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,897,795. This represents a 12.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Southern Trading Up 0.1%

SO opened at $92.35 on Tuesday. Southern Company has a 52 week low of $80.46 and a 52 week high of $96.44. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $93.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $91.17. The firm has a market cap of $101.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.08). Southern had a return on equity of 12.09% and a net margin of 15.10%.The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Southern has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 1.500-1.500 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 4.200-4.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Southern Company will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th were given a dividend of $0.74 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 18th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Southern's dividend payout ratio is currently 76.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on SO shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Southern from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $102.00 to $100.00 in a report on Thursday, June 5th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Southern from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Mizuho lifted their target price on Southern from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Southern from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $94.92.

About Southern

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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