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

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

Southern Price Performance

Shares of SO stock traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $93.50. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 15,865,763 shares, 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 firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $88.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $92.44. 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 $107.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.42, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30.

Southern Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho set a $106.00 price objective on Southern and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. DA Davidson set a $98.00 target price on Southern in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Scotiabank reduced their target price on Southern from $103.00 to $93.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Southern from $101.00 to $98.00 in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on Southern from $97.00 to $93.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $97.24.

Southern News Roundup

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.

About Southern

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.