Southern (NYSE:SO) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Southern (NYSE:SO) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.200-1.20 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.830. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Southern also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.500-4.600 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on SO. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Southern from $91.00 to $88.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Southern from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Southern from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $96.56.

Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SO traded down $0.93 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $94.12. 1,791,481 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,225,523. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $88.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $91.34. The company has a market cap of $103.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.24, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.45. Southern has a 12-month low of $83.09 and a 12-month high of $100.83.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $6.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.41 billion. Southern had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 12.52%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.50 earnings per share. Southern has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.20 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.600 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Southern will post 4.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.74 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.27%.

Key Headlines Impacting Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management raised guidance: Q1 2026 EPS guidance of 1.20 and FY 2026 EPS guidance of 4.50–4.60, both above consensus — this supports near-term earnings visibility. Southern Company reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and top-line growth: Q4 revenue of $6.98B topped estimates (~$6.41B) and rose ~10% year-over-year — strong demand and rate-base growth help cash flow. Southern quarterly revenue and slide deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings presentation and slide deck published for investors to review driver details and cash‑flow assumptions. The Southern Company 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Deeper metrics review available (reconciliations, segment trends) for analysts comparing adjusted vs. GAAP results. Compared to Estimates, Southern Co. (SO) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Small EPS miss: reported $0.55 EPS vs. a $0.56 consensus — even a modest miss can weigh on sentiment for a high‑dividend utility. Southern Co. (SO) Misses Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management signaled FY profit that could come in below some analyst estimates and raised its five‑year spending plan to support large-load customers (data centers, industrials) — higher capex and execution risk can pressure near-term free cash flow and credit metrics. Southern Co forecasts annual profit below estimates, raises spending plan
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets flagged weaker GAAP Q4 numbers (PR release showed $0.38/share on a GAAP basis and full‑year EPS slightly down vs. 2024), which may amplify investor caution until reconciliations are clear. Southern Company reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment: at least one downgrade noted the stock’s yield and valuation are “priced right,” signaling limited upside and cautious views from some research outlets. Southern Company: Steady Growth, But Priced Right, 3.2% Yield (Downgrade)

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southern

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Stokes Family Office LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southern by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC now owns 15,994 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,395,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Tradewinds LLC. raised its holdings in Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 11,528 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,005,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Southern by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $328,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. 44 Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Southern by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,879 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keebeck Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Southern by 2.2% in the third quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management now owns 5,988 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $567,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. 64.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Southern

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.