Southern (NYSE:SO) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Q4 2026 EPS guidance is $0.30, below the analyst consensus of $0.44, pointing to a near-term earnings shortfall.
• Southern set full-year 2026 EPS guidance at $4.70, above the $4.59 consensus estimate.
• In its latest reported quarter, EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $8.84 billion beat estimates; revenue grew 13% year over year.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.300-0.300 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.440. Southern also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.700-4.700 EPS.

Southern Price Performance

SO traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $93.50. 15,838,178 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,927,267. 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 market capitalization of $107.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.42, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30. Southern has a 52-week low of $81.69 and a 52-week high of $99.58. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $88.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $92.44.

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

Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Southern's payout ratio is presently 72.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp cut their price objective on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $74.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. DA Davidson set a $98.00 price target on Southern in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Southern in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Southern from $100.00 to $92.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Southern from $114.00 to $104.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $97.24.

Key Stories Impacting Southern

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.

About Southern

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.

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.