Research Analysts Issue Forecasts for Southern Q1 Earnings

Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO) – Equities research analysts at KeyCorp issued their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Southern in a research report issued on Tuesday, March 3rd. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp expects that the utilities provider will earn $1.23 per share for the quarter. KeyCorp currently has a “Sector Weight” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Southern’s current full-year earnings is $4.29 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Southern’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.09 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.71 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.55 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $4.58 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.93 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $5.36 EPS and FY2030 earnings at $6.18 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $96.00 price objective on shares of Southern and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Southern from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Evercore upgraded shares of Southern from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $111.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $98.08.

Southern Stock Down 0.5%

SO stock opened at $97.19 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.02 billion, a PE ratio of 24.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. Southern has a 52 week low of $83.09 and a 52 week high of $100.83. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $90.60 and a 200 day moving average of $91.46.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 earnings per share 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 return on equity of 12.52% and a net margin of 14.69%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.50 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SO. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southern during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in Southern in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Southern during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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 $0.74 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 75.32%.

Key Headlines Impacting Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore upgraded Southern to “Outperform” and set a $111 price target (roughly mid-teens upside from current levels), which is a clear near-term positive catalyst for the stock as it signals higher conviction from a sell-side shop. Street Insider
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its EPS projections across multiple years (FY2026 to FY2028 and FY2030), and published quarterly/annual forecasts (e.g., Q1 2026 $1.23, FY2026 $4.58, FY2027 $4.93, FY2028 $5.36, FY2030 $6.18). The upward revisions to multi-year earnings expectations support a constructive long-term outlook for earnings growth. MarketBeat
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite raising EPS forecasts, KeyCorp kept a “Sector Weight” rating on SO, signalling the firm hasn’t shifted to a more bullish stance; that limits the immediate impact of the forecast upgrades on buy-side demand. MarketBeat
• Neutral Sentiment: Mississippi Power (a Southern unit) named Fredie Carmichael VP of Customer Solutions & Corporate Communications — a routine leadership move with limited near-term market impact but relevant for regional customer engagement and communications. PR Newswire

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.