Southern (NYSE:SO) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Southern (NYSE:SO) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 4.700-4.700 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.590. Southern also updated its FY 2028 guidance to 5.250-5.450 EPS.

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SO traded up $0.38 during trading on Thursday, reaching $93.50. 15,838,178 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,927,267. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30. Southern has a 12 month low of $81.69 and a 12 month high of $99.58. The company has a 50 day moving average of $88.02 and a 200-day moving average of $92.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.23. Southern had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 15.43%. The business had revenue of $8.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.54 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Southern will post 4.59 EPS for the current year.

Southern Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on SO. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Southern from $96.00 to $95.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on Southern from $103.00 to $93.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Southern from $101.00 to $98.00 in a report on Monday, October 26th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Southern from $101.00 to $92.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Finally, HSBC began coverage on shares of Southern in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $99.50 target price for the company. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $97.24.

Trending Headlines about 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.

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.