one8zero8 LLC Makes New $765,000 Investment in Southern Company (The) $SO

one8zero8 LLC purchased a new stake in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 7,989 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $765,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co purchased a new stake in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter worth $1,531,000. West Family Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,006,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,329,000. Patrick Mauro Investment Advisor INC. acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the second quarter valued at about $2,077,000. Finally, Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC purchased a new stake in Southern during the second quarter worth about $260,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the company’s stock.

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of SO stock opened at $92.22 on Thursday. Southern Company has a one year low of $83.80 and a one year high of $100.83. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $94.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $94.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.12. Southern had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 15.43%.The business had revenue of $6.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.79 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Southern Company will post 4.58 EPS for the current year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Southern’s payout ratio is currently 72.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $104.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays decreased their target price on Southern from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Southern from $101.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $99.00 price target on Southern in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $100.09.

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.