Southern (NYSE:SO) Issues FY 2028 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Southern issued FY 2028 EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45, matching consensus at the low end and exceeding it at the midpoint. FY 2026 EPS guidance was set at $4.70, above the $4.59 analyst estimate.
• Third-quarter results beat expectations: EPS was $1.94 versus $1.71 consensus, and revenue reached $8.84 billion versus $8.38 billion, up 13% year over year. However, fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.30 is below the $0.44 consensus.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to $3.04 annually and a 3.3% yield.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2028 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 5.250-5.450 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 5.250. Southern also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.700-4.700 EPS.

Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:SO traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $93.50. 15,837,635 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,913,863. Southern has a twelve month low of $81.69 and a twelve month high of $99.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $88.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $92.44. The stock has a market cap of $107.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.42, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.23. Southern had a net margin of 15.43% and a return on equity of 12.93%. The firm had revenue of $8.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.54 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Southern will post 4.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Dividend Announcement

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 72.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on SO shares. KeyCorp lowered their price target on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $74.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Southern from $85.00 to $84.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. HSBC began coverage on Southern in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $99.50 target price on the stock. Mizuho set a $106.00 price target on Southern and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Southern from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 19th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southern currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $97.24.

More Southern News

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $1.94 topped the $1.71 consensus, while revenue of $8.84 billion exceeded the $8.38 billion estimate and rose 13% year over year. Separately, Southern reported GAAP earnings per share of $1.77, up from $1.55 a year earlier. Southern Co. Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates Southern Company reports third-quarter 2026 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $4.70 is above the $4.59 consensus, signaling a stronger annual outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: 2028 EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45 matches consensus at the low end and exceeds it at the midpoint, suggesting potential for longer-term earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.30 is below the $0.44 consensus, a near-term shortfall that could temper the positive reaction to the quarterly beat.

Southern Company Profile

Southern Company NYSE: SO is an energy holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Through its subsidiaries, the company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity, while also providing natural gas distribution and related energy services.

Southern's electric utility operations include Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power, which serve customers across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. The company's generation portfolio includes nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources.

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