Southern (NYSE:SO) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Southern (NYSE:SO) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.01), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $6.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.41 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 12.52% and a net margin of 15.42%.Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. Southern updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.200-1.20 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 4.500-4.600 EPS.

Southern Price Performance

SO stock traded up $2.97 on Thursday, reaching $94.01. The company had a trading volume of 6,668,440 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,105,556. Southern has a 1 year low of $83.09 and a 1 year high of $100.83. The company has a market cap of $103.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.28, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.45. The company’s fifty day moving average is $88.35 and its 200 day moving average is $91.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.75.

Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $0.74 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Southern’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.27%.

Institutional Trading of Southern

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Southern during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Southern during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in Southern during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Southern from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Southern from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Barclays lowered their target price on Southern from $91.00 to $88.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $94.91.

More Southern News

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised Q1 2026 guidance sharply to $1.20 (vs. Street ~$0.83), signaling stronger near-term earnings visibility and support from large-load customers. Southern Company reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: FY 2026 EPS guidance was updated to $4.50–$4.60, slightly above consensus (~$4.45), which supports a higher multi-quarter outlook. Southern Company reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue came in above estimates ($6.98B vs. ~$6.41B), showing top-line growth (+10.1% YoY) that helped offset a slight EPS miss. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Georgia Power (a Southern unit) filed rate cases seeking lower customer costs beginning in June — regulatory moves that reduce customer bills but can affect timing and structure of utility recovery. Georgia Power filings
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains a “Hold,” reflecting mixed analyst views despite guidance upside. Consensus Recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reports Southern forecasted annual profit below some analysts’ estimates while also raising its five-year spending plan to support demand from large-load customers — higher capex and a below-consensus profit outlook are potential near-term headwinds. Reuters: Forecasts below estimates, raises spending plan
• Negative Sentiment: Southern missed Q4 EPS by a penny ($0.55 vs. $0.56 expected), which, along with year-over-year declines in certain GAAP metrics, tempers the upside from guidance. Zacks: Misses Q4 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Company reported lower Q4 and full-year 2025 GAAP earnings versus the prior year (press release), underscoring some operational and timing pressures. PR Newswire: Q4 and FY 2025 results

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.