Southern (NYSE:SO) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Q2 guidance: Southern set Q2 EPS guidance at $1.00, below the ~$1.02 consensus, and updated FY2026 guidance to $4.50–$4.60, with the midpoint slightly under street estimates.
• Q1 beat and shareholder return: The company reported adjusted Q1 EPS of $1.32 on $8.40B revenue (both topping estimates) and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 (annualized $3.04, ~3.2% yield), supporting fundamentals and cash returns to investors.

Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) updated its second quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.000-1.000 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.020. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Southern also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.500-4.600 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Seaport Research Partners lowered Southern from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Mizuho set a $104.00 target price on Southern and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, February 20th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $99.08.

Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:SO opened at $93.59 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $105.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. The stock's 50-day moving average is $95.86 and its 200-day moving average is $92.09. Southern has a 1-year low of $83.09 and a 1-year high of $100.83.

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 $1.22 by $0.10. Southern had a return on equity of 12.52% and a net margin of 14.69%.The company had revenue of $8.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.26 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Southern will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. This is a boost from Southern's previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. Southern's payout ratio is 75.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 25,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.67, for a total transaction of $2,416,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 103,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,015,205.34. The trade was a 19.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 6,669 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.55, for a total value of $643,891.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,973,740. The trade was a 17.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: Southern reported adjusted Q1 EPS of $1.32 (GAAP $1.21) and revenue of $8.40B, topping consensus; management cited higher power demand as a driver. This beat and the demand pickup are supportive for earnings and cash flow. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company press release confirms the beat: Southern reported $1.4B GAAP net income and $1.5B excluding certain items (adjusted $1.32/share), reinforcing the Reuters/market beat. Strong net margin (~14.7%) and ROE support fundamentals. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst lift / favorable coverage: Erste Group nudged FY2026 EPS estimates slightly higher (to $4.57) and Wells Fargo recently raised its price target, signaling incremental analyst support for the stock’s valuation and outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term guidance in line: Southern provided FY2028 EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45, which brackets the consensus and suggests management expects multi‑year earnings growth consistent with expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector note — utilities ETF context: Broader commentary on the Utilities Select Sector ETF (XLU) is available for investors considering sector exposure, but it’s not company-specific. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 guidance slightly conservative vs. consensus: Southern updated FY2026 EPS guidance to $4.50–$4.60 versus the $4.57 consensus — the midpoint is a touch below some estimates, which can temper near‑term upside expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 guide misses by a hair: Q2 EPS guidance was set at $1.00, below the ~$1.02 consensus. While small, this miss could prompt short‑term caution among traders focused on quarterly beats.
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary: Recent writeups highlight Southern’s strong profitability among renewable/utility peers and incremental analyst target raises, supporting investor interest in the name. Article Title

Institutional Trading of Southern

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Stokes Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in Southern by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC now owns 15,994 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,395,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Tradewinds LLC. lifted its holdings in Southern by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 11,528 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,005,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Southern by 3.6% in the second quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $328,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. 44 Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Southern by 4.5% in the second quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,879 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Keebeck Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Southern by 2.2% in the third quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management now owns 5,988 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $567,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Southern Company Profile

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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