Southern (NYSE:SO) Issues FY 2028 Earnings Guidance

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

Southern Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE SO traded up $0.38 on Thursday, reaching $93.50. 15,867,626 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,927,408. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $81.69 and a fifty-two week 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 current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.56 billion, a PE ratio of 22.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.30.

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

Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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 of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 72.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Southern from $103.00 to $93.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Southern from $79.00 to $74.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Southern in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. HSBC assumed coverage on Southern in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $99.50 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on Southern from $100.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southern has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average 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.