Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Q: What analysts cover Southern?

Southern has been rated by research analysts at Barclays , BMO Capital Markets , Jefferies Financial Group , JPMorgan Chase & Co. , KeyCorp , Mizuho , Morgan Stanley , Raymond James Financial , Truist Financial , and Weiss Ratings in the past 90 days.

$97.29 +0.69 (+0.71%)

Closing price 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$96.81 -0.48 (-0.49%)

As of 07:34 PM Eastern

Compare

Southern - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Hold

Based on 20 Analyst Ratings

Sell
2

Hold
11

Buy
7

Based on 20 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Southern in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 20 analysts, 2 have given a sell rating, 11 have given a hold rating, and 7 have given a buy rating for SO.

Consensus Price Target

$100.09
2.88% Upside

According to the 20 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Southern, the average price target is $100.09. The highest price target for SO is $112.00, while the lowest price target for SO is $79.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 2.88% from the current price of $97.29.

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

Get the Latest News and Ratings for SO and Related Stocks

Enter your email address to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and its competitors.

SMS is currently available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy.

SO Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 7/24/25 to 7/24/26	1 Month Ago 6/24/25 to 6/24/26	3 Months Ago 4/25/25 to 4/25/26	1 Year Ago 7/24/24 to 7/24/25
Strong Buy	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	7 Buy rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)
Hold	11 Hold rating(s)	12 Hold rating(s)	13 Hold rating(s)	10 Hold rating(s)
Sell	2 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$100.09	$99.15	$99.08	$93.53
Forecasted Upside	2.88% Upside	3.53% Upside	5.95% Upside	-1.54% Downside
Consensus Rating	Hold	Hold	Hold	Hold

SO Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.

SO Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.

Southern Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Southern	Utilities Companies	Broader Market
Consensus Rating Score	2.25	2.33	2.52
Consensus Rating	Hold	Hold	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	2.95% Upside	54.75% Upside	14.19% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Positive News See Recent SO News	Positive News	Positive News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

Export

Date	Brokerage	Analyst	Action	Rating	Price Target	Report Date Upside/Downside
7/23/2026	KeyCorp 2 of 5 stars	Sophie Karp 4 of 5 stars	Downgrade	Sector Weight ➝ Underweight	$79.00	-17.54%
7/22/2026	Morgan Stanley 3 of 5 stars	David Arcaro 4 of 5 stars	Reiterated Rating	Underweight
7/22/2026	BMO Capital Markets 3 of 5 stars	James Thalacker 3 of 5 stars	Lower Target	Outperform	$105.00 ➝ $102.00	+7.75%
7/16/2026	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Jeremy Tonet Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral	$101.00 ➝ $104.00	+8.69%
6/22/2026	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Set Target		$99.00	+5.55%
6/18/2026	Barclays Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Nicholas Campanella Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Equal Weight	$99.00 ➝ $98.00	+5.79%
5/29/2026	Truist Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Richard Sunderland Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Hold	$103.00 ➝ $100.00	+8.64%
5/1/2026	Weiss Ratings Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Upgrade	Buy (B-) ➝ Buy (B)
5/1/2026	Mizuho Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Set Target		$105.00	+8.22%
5/1/2026	Raymond James Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Outperform	$104.00	+7.34%
Get the Latest News and Ratings for SO and Related Stocks Enter your email address below to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.
4/10/2026	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Buy
3/6/2026	TD Cowen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Shelby Tucker Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Buy	$108.00 ➝ $112.00	+15.24%
3/5/2026	Evercore Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Nicholas Amicucci Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	In-Line ➝ Outperform	$111.00	+13.65%
2/20/2026	Scotiabank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Andrew Weisel Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Sector Perform	$101.00 ➝ $103.00	+8.81%
2/20/2026	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Shahriar Pourreza Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Set Target	Underweight ➝ Equal Weight	$84.00 ➝ $96.00	+0.88%
1/23/2026	Royal Bank Of Canada Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Stephen D'Ambrisi Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Sector Perform	$105.00	+20.24%
12/17/2025	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Daniel Ford Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Neutral	$98.00 ➝ $94.00	+9.82%
11/6/2025	The Goldman Sachs Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Buy ➝ Neutral	$98.00	+7.17%
10/21/2025	BTIG Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Neutral
10/17/2025	LADENBURG THALM/SH SH Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Paul Fremont Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Buy ➝ Neutral	$99.50 ➝ $102.50	+4.12%
5/2/2025	Guggenheim Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	S. Pourreza Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Neutral	$93.00 ➝ $93.00	+2.16%
8/29/2024	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral	$86.00 ➝ $87.00	+1.78%
8/2/2024	Wolfe Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Steve Fleishman Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Outperform ➝ Peer Perform

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 12:39 AM ET.

Should I Buy Southern Stock? SO Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Friday, July 24, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Southern pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Southern
Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in The Southern Company:

The current stock price is around $94, which is near its 12-month high, indicating strong market performance and potential for further growth.
The Southern Company recently reported earnings per share of $1.32, exceeding analysts' expectations, which reflects strong operational performance and profitability.
The company has a solid dividend yield of approximately 3.1%, providing a reliable income stream for investors, which is particularly attractive in a low-interest-rate environment.
With a return on equity of 12.64%, The Southern Company demonstrates effective management and the ability to generate profits from shareholders' equity, which is a positive indicator for potential investors.
The company has shown revenue growth of 8.0% year-over-year, suggesting a robust business model and the ability to expand its market presence.

Southern
Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in The Southern Company for these reasons:

The Southern Company has a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, indicating that it relies significantly on debt financing, which could pose risks in a rising interest rate environment.
The quick ratio of 0.45 suggests that the company may struggle to meet its short-term liabilities, which could raise concerns about liquidity and financial stability.
Despite recent earnings growth, the company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24.56 may indicate that the stock is overvalued compared to its earnings, which could deter value-focused investors.
Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with a consensus rating of "Hold," suggesting uncertainty about its future performance and potential for price appreciation.
The company's dividend payout ratio of 77.35% indicates that a large portion of earnings is being paid out as dividends, which may limit funds available for reinvestment in growth opportunities.

SO Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 20 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Southern is $100.09, with a high forecast of $112.00 and a low forecast of $79.00.

20 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Southern in the last year. There are currently 2 sell ratings, 11 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" SO shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in SO, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

According to analysts, Southern's stock has a predicted upside of 2.88% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Southern's stock had 1 upgrade and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Southern has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Jefferies Financial Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KeyCorp, Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, Raymond James Financial, Truist Financial, and Weiss Ratings in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Southern less than other "utilities" companies. The consensus rating score for Southern is 2.25 while the average consensus rating score for "utilities" companies is 2.33. Learn more on how SO compares to other companies.

Stock Forecasts and Research Tools

Related Companies

Today's Analyst Ratings

Top-Rated Stocks

More Ratings Tools

Brokerages With Southern Recommendations

This page (NYSE:SO) was last updated on 7/24/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

From Our Partners

Unlock superior investment research and tools.

Get MarketBeat All Access

In-depth profiles and analysis for 20,000 public companies.
Real-time analyst ratings, insider transactions, earnings data, and more.
Our daily ratings and market update email newsletter.

Sign In
Create Account

Your Email Address:

Your Password:

Forgot your password?

Your Email Address:

Choose a Password:

By creating a free account, you agree to our terms of service. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target