Southern (NYSE:SO) Upgraded by Mizuho to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Southern (NYSE:SO) was upgraded by Mizuho from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Southern from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Southern from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $98.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Southern from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Southern currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $97.14.

Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:SO opened at $94.14 on Friday. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $83.09 and a fifty-two week high of $100.83. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $88.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.32. The company has a market capitalization of $103.65 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.45.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.01). Southern had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 14.69%.The firm had revenue of $6.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. Southern has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.20 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.600 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Southern will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Southern in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in Southern during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and strong top-line growth: Q4 revenue of ~$6.98B topped consensus (~$6.41B) and was up ~10% year-over-year, showing demand strength that supports future cash flow. Compared to Estimates, Southern Co. (SO) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
• Positive Sentiment: Upbeat near-term guidance: Southern raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to $4.50–4.60 and issued a Q1 2026 guide of $1.20 — Q1 guidance materially above consensus — which suggests management expects strong early-year earnings momentum. Southern Company reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials released: slide deck and earnings presentation / call were published for investors to dig into drivers and assumptions behind guidance and capex plans. These materials clarify the outlook but may not change sentiment immediately. The Southern Company 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Small EPS miss and mixed profitability signals: Adjusted EPS came in at $0.55 vs. a $0.56 consensus (a modest miss), which, together with differing reported GAAP figures, has raised questions about underlying margin trends. Southern Co. (SO) Misses Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Raised multi-year spending plan and profit commentary: Reuters flags that Southern forecast annual profit below some analysts’ expectations while raising its five-year spending plan to support large-load customers (data centers, industrials). Higher capex and near-term profit pressure are risk factors for margins and credit metrics. Southern Co forecasts annual profit below estimates, raises spending plan

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.