Hantz Financial Services Inc. Sells 7,980 Shares of Southern Company (The) $SO

Hantz Financial Services Inc. reduced its position in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO) by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 79,938 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 7,980 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Southern were worth $7,576,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of SO. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Southern in the second quarter valued at about $1,179,715,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Southern by 9,099.6% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,421,331 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $406,011,000 after purchasing an additional 4,373,271 shares in the last quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP grew its stake in shares of Southern by 83.8% in the 2nd quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP now owns 4,097,422 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $376,266,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867,912 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Southern by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 105,904,243 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,725,187,000 after buying an additional 1,694,066 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $103,342,000. Institutional investors own 64.10% of the company’s stock.

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SO opened at $90.23 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $87.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $91.54. The company has a market capitalization of $99.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45. Southern Company has a fifty-two week low of $82.90 and a fifty-two week high of $100.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $0.74 dividend. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. Southern’s payout ratio is currently 73.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Southern from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Southern from $97.00 to $88.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Southern from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $94.91.

Southern 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.