KeyCorp Analysts Boost Earnings Estimates for Southern

Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO) – Stock analysts at KeyCorp raised their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Southern in a research note issued to investors on Monday, October 12th. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp now expects that the utilities provider will earn $1.74 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.66. KeyCorp currently has an “Underweight” rating and a $74.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Southern’s current full-year earnings is $4.59 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Southern’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.42 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $5.37 EPS, FY2029 earnings at $5.77 EPS and FY2030 earnings at $6.19 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on SO. Jefferies Financial Group set a $99.00 price objective on Southern in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Southern from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Southern from $100.00 to $97.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Southern from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $99.25.

Southern Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE SO opened at $89.34 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $87.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.23. Southern has a twelve month low of $81.69 and a twelve month high of $100.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The company has a market capitalization of $102.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.15, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.31.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $6.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.23 billion. Southern had a net margin of 15.43% and a return on equity of 12.93%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.79 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Southern

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SO. Uptick Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Southern by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Uptick Partners LLC now owns 7,601 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $734,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Seelaus Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Southern by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Seelaus Asset Management LLC now owns 4,923 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. KCM Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.3% in the first quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 34,328 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,313,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 4.7% in the first quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 2,657 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $256,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.6% in the first quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 21,876 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,111,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.10% of the company’s stock.

Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Southern’s payout ratio is presently 72.90%.

Southern News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.74 from $1.66 and modestly increased its FY2026, FY2028, FY2029 and FY2030 forecasts. The revisions suggest some confidence in Southern’s longer-term earnings growth, although the increases were small. Southern Stock Price Target Cut by KeyCorp
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Southern’s history of earnings surprises and said the company has factors that could support another quarterly beat. A potential earnings beat could help offset some of the valuation concerns. Why Southern Co. Is Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors continue to view Southern as a defensive dividend utility, supported by regulated operations, population growth, industrial expansion and potential data-center electricity demand. However, utility valuations remain sensitive to interest rates and cash-flow needs. Is Southern Company’s 3.5% Dividend Yield Worth the Price?
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp sharply reduced its Q4 2026 EPS forecast to $0.42 from $0.60, implying weaker near-term earnings momentum despite the higher Q3 estimate. Its $74 target and Underweight rating signal substantial downside concern. Southern Stock Price Target Cut by KeyCorp
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan’s target reduction adds to the analyst-pressure narrative, while a report citing near-term cash-flow pressure raises concerns about funding, capital spending and dividend flexibility. JPMorgan Lowers Expectations for Southern Stock Price Southern Company Long-Term Growth Meets Near-Term Cash Flow Pressure
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm is investigating a reported data breach involving Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power. The investigation does not establish liability, but potential remediation costs, litigation and reputational damage represent additional risks. Utility Data Breach Investigation

Southern Company Profile

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

Southern’s regulated electric utilities include Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power, which serve residential, commercial and industrial customers across the southeastern United States. The company’s portfolio includes coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable generation assets.