Southern (NYSE:SO) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.12 EPS

Southern (NYSE:SO) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.12, FiscalAI reports. Southern had a return on equity of 12.64% and a net margin of 14.46%.The company had revenue of $6.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Southern Price Performance

SO stock traded down $1.81 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $94.24. 6,392,187 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,305,312. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $94.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $93.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market cap of $106.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.98, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.34. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $83.80 and a fifty-two week high of $100.83.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Southern’s payout ratio is currently 77.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on SO. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Southern from $101.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Mizuho set a $105.00 target price on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Southern from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $100.21.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Southern News

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Southern reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.13 per share, exceeding the $1.01 analyst consensus and rising from $0.91 a year earlier. The company also reported $1.2 billion in quarterly earnings, or $1.03 per reported share, versus $0.9 billion, or $0.80 per share, in the prior-year period. Southern Co. Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Southern’s six-month earnings increased to $2.5 billion, or $2.24 per share, from $2.2 billion, or $2.01 per share, a sign of year-to-date profit growth. Southern Company Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Georgia Power completed the Moody Battery Energy Storage System, supporting solar integration and grid reliability. Southern is also expanding storage capacity across Georgia, which could strengthen its regulated-utility growth profile. Southern Completes Moody Battery Project
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to view Southern as a potential AI and data-center electricity-demand beneficiary, supported by large-load contracts and a reported 25-year power agreement with OpenAI. Southern Company AI Data Center Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue of $6.98 billion fell short of the $7.23 billion consensus and was essentially flat year over year, tempering the earnings beat. Southern Quarterly Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s 2026 EPS guidance of $4.50-$4.60 brackets a $4.57 consensus estimate, while third-quarter guidance of $1.65 is below the $1.67 forecast. This modestly cautious outlook likely contributed to the stock’s weakness despite the quarterly beat.

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.