Southern (NYSE:SO) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.23 EPS

Southern (NYSE:SO) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.23, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $8.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.38 billion. Southern had a net margin of 15.43% and a return on equity of 12.93%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.54 EPS.

Southern Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:SO traded up $0.38 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $93.50. 15,865,763 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,927,268. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $81.69 and a fifty-two week high of $99.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $107.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.42, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $88.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $92.44.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.90%.

Key Stories Impacting Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $1.94 topped the $1.71 consensus, while revenue of $8.84 billion exceeded the $8.38 billion estimate and rose 13% year over year. Separately, Southern reported GAAP earnings per share of $1.77, up from $1.55 a year earlier. Southern Co. Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates Southern Company reports third-quarter 2026 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $4.70 is above the $4.59 consensus, signaling a stronger annual outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: 2028 EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45 matches consensus at the low end and exceeds it at the midpoint, suggesting potential for longer-term earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.30 is below the $0.44 consensus, a near-term shortfall that could temper the positive reaction to the quarterly beat.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Southern from $100.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Southern from $101.00 to $94.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Southern from $96.00 to $95.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $98.00 price target on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Southern has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $97.24.

Southern Company Profile

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an energy holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Through its subsidiaries, the company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity, while also providing natural gas distribution and related energy services.

Southern’s electric utility operations include Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power, which serve customers across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. The company’s generation portfolio includes nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources.