Advisors Preferred LLC Increases Holdings in Southern Company (The) $SO

Advisors Preferred LLC lifted its holdings in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO) by 51.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 75,914 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,897 shares during the period. Southern accounts for about 1.1% of Advisors Preferred LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Advisors Preferred LLC’s holdings in Southern were worth $7,197,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern in the third quarter worth $29,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in shares of Southern during the third quarter worth $34,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Southern by 120.1% during the third quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Southern by 309.5% during the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Southern from $91.00 to $88.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Southern from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday. Scotiabank increased their price target on Southern from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Southern from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $97.14.

Trending Headlines about Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and strong top-line growth: Q4 revenue of ~$6.98B topped consensus (~$6.41B) and was up ~10% year-over-year, showing demand strength that supports future cash flow. Compared to Estimates, Southern Co. (SO) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
• Positive Sentiment: Upbeat near-term guidance: Southern raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to $4.50–4.60 and issued a Q1 2026 guide of $1.20 — Q1 guidance materially above consensus — which suggests management expects strong early-year earnings momentum. Southern Company reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials released: slide deck and earnings presentation / call were published for investors to dig into drivers and assumptions behind guidance and capex plans. These materials clarify the outlook but may not change sentiment immediately. The Southern Company 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Small EPS miss and mixed profitability signals: Adjusted EPS came in at $0.55 vs. a $0.56 consensus (a modest miss), which, together with differing reported GAAP figures, has raised questions about underlying margin trends. Southern Co. (SO) Misses Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Raised multi-year spending plan and profit commentary: Reuters flags that Southern forecast annual profit below some analysts’ expectations while raising its five-year spending plan to support large-load customers (data centers, industrials). Higher capex and near-term profit pressure are risk factors for margins and credit metrics. Southern Co forecasts annual profit below estimates, raises spending plan

Southern Trading Down 1.0%

SO opened at $94.14 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $88.76 and a 200 day moving average of $91.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. Southern Company has a 12 month low of $83.09 and a 12 month high of $100.83. The firm has a market cap of $103.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.45.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $6.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.41 billion. Southern had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.50 earnings per share. Southern has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.20 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.600 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Southern Company will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.74 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Southern’s payout ratio is 75.32%.

About Southern

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.