Southern (NYSE:SO) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Mizuho

Southern (NYSE:SO) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Mizuho from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on SO. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial set a $103.00 price target on shares of Southern in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Southern from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 15th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Southern from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Southern from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Southern has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $97.14.

Southern Stock Down 1.0%

Southern stock opened at $94.14 on Friday. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $83.09 and a fifty-two week high of $100.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.75. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $88.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $91.32. The stock has a market cap of $103.65 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.45.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.01). Southern had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 14.69%.The firm had revenue of $6.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. Southern’s quarterly revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Southern has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.20 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.600 EPS. Research analysts predict that Southern will post 4.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southern

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Southern in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Southern in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Southern in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Southern News Summary

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

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.