Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target

$94.10 +0.77 (+0.83%)

Closing price 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$94.28 +0.18 (+0.19%)

As of 07:59 PM Eastern

Southern - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

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
10

Buy
5

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, 10 have given a hold rating, and 5 have given a buy rating for SO.

Consensus Price Target

$93.20
-0.96% Downside

According to the 16 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Southern, the average price target is $93.20. The highest price target for SO is $100.00, while the lowest price target for SO is $78.00. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -0.96% from the current price of $94.10.

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SO Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 7/18/24 to 7/18/25	1 Month Ago 6/18/24 to 6/18/25	3 Months Ago 4/19/24 to 4/19/25	1 Year Ago 7/19/23 to 7/18/24
Strong Buy	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	5 Buy rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)
Hold	10 Hold rating(s)	10 Hold rating(s)	9 Hold rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)
Sell	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$93.20	$92.93	$92.00	$76.50
Forecasted Upside	-0.96% Downside	5.10% Upside	0.34% Upside	-5.89% 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	S&P 500
Consensus Rating Score	2.25	2.47	2.53
Consensus Rating	Hold	Hold	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	-0.96% Downside	16.13% Upside	11.55% 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 to Excel

Date	Brokerage	Analyst Name	Action	Rating	Price Target	Upside/Downside on Report Date
7/16/2025	Barclays 3 of 5 stars	Nicholas Campanella Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$90.00 ➝ $91.00	-2.12%
7/15/2025	JPMorgan Chase & Co. 2 of 5 stars	Jeremy Tonet Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$94.00 ➝ $97.00	+5.11%
6/18/2025	Morgan Stanley 3 of 5 stars	Stephen Byrd Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$91.00 ➝ $90.00	+1.63%
6/13/2025	Raymond James Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	J.R. Weston Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Initiated Coverage	Outperform	$98.00	+8.59%
6/5/2025	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Julien Dumoulin-Smith Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Buy	$102.00 ➝ $100.00	+13.15%
5/14/2025	KeyCorp Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Sophie Karp Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Sector Weight ➝ Underweight	$78.00	-8.86%
5/2/2025	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Neil Kalton Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$95.00 ➝ $99.00	+8.62%
5/2/2025	Guggenheim Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	S. Pourreza Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$93.00 ➝ $93.00	+2.16%
5/2/2025	Evercore ISI Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Durgesh Chopra Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	In-Line ➝ In-Line	$90.00 ➝ $94.00	+2.84%
3/21/2025	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Daniel Ford Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$94.00 ➝ $97.00	+8.56%
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2/3/2025	Mizuho Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	A. Crowdell Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$83.00 ➝ $85.00	+0.94%
12/12/2024	Scotiabank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Sector Outperform ➝ Sector Outperform	$96.00 ➝ $98.00	+16.64%
11/1/2024	BMO Capital Markets Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$99.00 ➝ $97.00	+8.70%
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%
8/2/2024	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	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%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 11:14 PM 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 Thursday, July 10, 2025. 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 $93, reflecting a recent increase, which may indicate positive market sentiment.
The Southern Company has shown strong quarterly earnings, reporting earnings per share that exceeded analysts' expectations, suggesting robust financial health.
The company has increased its quarterly dividend to $0.74, demonstrating a commitment to returning value to shareholders, which can be attractive for income-focused investors.
With a market capitalization exceeding $100 billion, The Southern Company is a significant player in the utilities sector, providing stability and potential for growth.
Analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" with several recent upgrades, indicating that there is confidence in the company's future performance.

Southern
Bear Case

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

The company has a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio, which may indicate increased financial risk and could affect its ability to manage future obligations.
Despite recent positive earnings, the stock has faced fluctuations, and its performance may be influenced by broader market conditions and regulatory changes in the utilities sector.
The average target price from analysts is lower than the current stock price, suggesting that there may be limited upside potential in the near term.
With a dividend payout ratio of over 70%, there may be concerns about the sustainability of dividend payments if earnings do not continue to grow.
Market volatility and economic uncertainties could impact The Southern Company's operations and profitability, making it a riskier investment in the current climate.

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 $93.20, with a high forecast of $100.00 and a low forecast of $78.00.
: 16 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Southern in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating, 10 hold ratings and 5 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities 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 -0.96% 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, Evercore ISI, Guggenheim, Jefferies Financial Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KeyCorp, Morgan Stanley, Raymond James Financial, and Wells Fargo & Company 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 2.47. Learn more on how SO compares to other companies.

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This page (NYSE:SO) was last updated on 7/18/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target