Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) - Analysts at KeyCorp issued their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Southern in a report released on Wednesday, July 22nd. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp anticipates that the utilities provider will post earnings of $1.00 per share for the quarter. KeyCorp has a "Underweight" rating and a $79.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Southern's current full-year earnings is $4.58 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Southern's FY2026 earnings at $4.58 EPS.
Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $8.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.07 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 12.64% and a net margin of 14.46%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.23 EPS.
A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on SO. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $104.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, May 1st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Southern from $105.00 to $102.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings raised Southern from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group set a $99.00 price objective on Southern in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their target price on Southern from $103.00 to $100.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Seven 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $100.09.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on SO
Southern Price Performance
Southern stock opened at $97.29 on Monday. The company's 50 day moving average is $94.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. Southern has a 52-week low of $83.80 and a 52-week high of $100.83. The firm has a market cap of $109.67 billion, a PE ratio of 24.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.34.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southern
A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SO. Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern during the first quarter worth $25,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the company's stock.
Southern Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. Southern's dividend payout ratio is 77.35%.
Trending Headlines about Southern
Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Southern’s Georgia Power subsidiary signed a long-term power agreement with OpenAI, which could support future electricity demand and reinforce the company’s role in powering AI data center growth. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: The company announced it is joining President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, highlighting a customer-first approach focused on rate stability, grid reliability, and responsible growth. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive on near-term earnings, with Zacks saying Southern may have the right setup to beat upcoming results. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its Q4 2026 EPS estimate to $0.60 from $0.55, but kept an Underweight rating and a $79 price target, so the update is mixed despite the higher forecast. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp also trimmed estimates for Southern’s Q3 2026, FY2028, FY2029, and FY2030 earnings, which may weigh on sentiment even though the changes were modest. Article Title
About Southern
(
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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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