Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target

$94.15

+1.07 (+1.15%)

(As of 10/23/2024 ET)

Southern - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2024)

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.

Consensus Rating

Hold

Based on 16 Analyst Ratings

Sell
1

Hold
8

Buy
7

Based on 16 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 16 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 8 have given a hold rating, and 7 have given a buy rating for SO.

Consensus Price Target

$89.07
-5.40% Downside

According to the 16 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Southern, the average price target is $89.07. The highest price target for SO is $97.00, while the lowest price target for SO is $80.00. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -5.40% from the current price of $94.15.

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SO Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 10/25/23 to 10/24/24	1 Month Ago 9/25/23 to 9/24/24	3 Months Ago 7/27/23 to 7/26/24	1 Year Ago 10/25/22 to 10/25/23
Strong Buy	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	7 Buy rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)
Hold	8 Hold rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)
Sell	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$89.07	$86.33	$76.50	$73.00
Forecasted Upside	-5.40% Downside	-3.79% Downside	-6.91% Downside	9.56% Upside
Consensus Rating	Hold	Hold	Hold	Moderate Buy

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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	S&P 500
Consensus Rating Score	2.38	2.50	2.50
Consensus Rating	Hold	Moderate Buy	Hold
Predicted Upside	-5.40% Downside	16.97% Upside	8.42% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Positive News See Recent SO News	Neutral News	Positive News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

Export to Excel

Date	Brokerage	Analyst Name	Action	Rating	Price Target	Upside/Downside on Report Date
10/15/2024	Barclays 3 of 5 stars		Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$71.00 ➝ $83.00	-8.83%
10/2/2024	Guggenheim 3 of 5 stars		Boost Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$93.00 ➝ $97.00	+6.22%
9/25/2024	Morgan Stanley 3 of 5 stars		Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$78.00 ➝ $82.00	-8.37%
9/20/2024	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$90.00 ➝ $91.00	+1.84%
9/20/2024	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Hold	$94.00	+5.77%
9/16/2024	Mizuho Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	A. Crowdell Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Outperform ➝ Neutral	$90.00 ➝ $90.00	+0.63%
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8/29/2024	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$86.00 ➝ $87.00	+1.78%
8/20/2024	Scotiabank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Sector Outperform ➝ Sector Outperform	$87.00 ➝ $96.00	+9.99%
8/12/2024	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Underweight ➝ Underweight	$80.00 ➝ $87.00	+0.16%
8/2/2024	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$77.00 ➝ $89.00	+1.49%
8/2/2024	The Goldman Sachs Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$83.00 ➝ $94.00	+7.27%
8/2/2024	BMO Capital Markets Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$87.00 ➝ $94.00	+7.27%
8/2/2024	Wolfe Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	S. Fleishman Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Outperform ➝ Peer Perform
5/15/2024	Argus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$75.00 ➝ $90.00	+13.42%
2/21/2024	Royal Bank of Canada Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$80.00	+18.82%
12/8/2023	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Buy	$82.00	+14.45%
8/9/2023	LADENBURG THALM/SH SH Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Buy	$72.00	+4.64%
4/28/2023	VNET Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Maintains
1/18/2023	Credit Suisse Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Underperform	$60.00 ➝ $70.00	-0.07%
10/24/2022	Bank Of America (Bofa) Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Underperform

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Thursday at 04:39 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 Tuesday, October 15, 2024. 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 Southern Company's quarterly revenue increased by 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year, indicating strong growth potential.
Analysts predict The Southern Company will post earnings per share of 4.02 for the current fiscal year, showing financial stability and potential for returns.
The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.72 per share, with an annualized dividend of $2.88 and a yield of 3.23%, providing a steady income stream for investors.
Recent analyst price targets for The Southern Company range from $87.00 to $97.00, suggesting potential for stock price appreciation.
The Southern Company engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, which is a fundamental and essential service, ensuring consistent demand for its services.

Southern
Bear Case

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

One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, indicating some concerns about the company's performance or outlook.
The company's dividend payout ratio is currently 74.42%, which may raise questions about sustainability and future dividend growth.
Some analysts have issued hold or neutral ratings for The Southern Company, suggesting a lack of consensus on the stock's potential performance.
While the company has seen revenue growth, investors should consider the competitive landscape and regulatory challenges in the utilities sector that could impact future earnings.
There is a wide range of target prices from analysts, indicating uncertainty or differing opinions on the stock's valuation and potential upside.

SO Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

: According to the research reports of 16 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Southern is $89.07, with a high forecast of $97.00 and a low forecast of $80.00.
: 16 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Southern in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating, 8 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 downside of -5.40% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.
: Over the previous 90 days, Southern's stock had 2 downgrades by analysts.
: Southern has been rated by research analysts at Bank of America, Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Guggenheim, Jefferies Financial Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, Scotiabank, The Goldman Sachs Group, UBS Group, Wells Fargo & Company, and Wolfe Research in the past 90 days.
: Analysts like Southern less than other "utilities" companies. The consensus rating for Southern is Hold while the average consensus rating for "utilities" companies is Moderate Buy. Learn more on how SO compares to other companies.