The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations. In addition, it owns and operates nuclear, coal, hydro, cogeneration, solar, wind, battery storage, and fuel cell facilities. Further, the constructs, operates, and maintains approximately 77,900 miles of natural gas pipelines and 14 storage facilities with total capacity of 157 Bcf to provide natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company serves approximately 8.9 million electric and gas utility customers. Further, it develops distributed energy and resilience solutions; deploys microgrids for commercial, industrial, governmental, and utility customers; and offers digital wireless communications and fiber optics services. The Southern Company was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Southern Company (The)

The Southern Company (SO) is set to release third-quarter results on Oct. 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at a profit of $1.50 per share on revenues of $7.6 billion.
Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced the power supplier’s performance in the September quarter. But it’s worth taking a look at Southern Company’s previous-quarter results first.
Highlights of Q2 Earnings & Surprise History
In the last reported quarter, the Atlanta, GA-based service provider beat the consensus mark due to higher utility revenues. Southern Company had reported adjusted earnings per share of 91 cents, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4 cents. Sales of $7 billion also beat the consensus mark by 6.2%.
SO topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed in the other. The utility has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.2%, on average. This is depicted in the graph below:
Southern Company (The) Price and EPS Surprise
Trend in Estimate Revision
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third-quarter bottom line has been revised 2% downward in the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates a 4.9% improvement year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues suggests a 4.1% increase from the year-ago period.
Factors to Consider
Serving 9 million customers across the Southeast, SouthernCompany benefits from robust regional economic and population growth. These service territories continue to attract major commercial and industrial projects, with some $2 billion in capital investment and 6,000 new jobs announced in the second quarter of 2025 alone. In particular, industrial and data center demand continues to drive long-term load expansion. This trend is most likely to have continued in the third quarter of 2025, thereby adding to SO’s earnings and cash flows.
But on a bearish note, the power supplier flagged several timing and cost risks tied to delivering the new capacity. Equipment and turbine delivery timelines are competitive industrywide, and management noted upward pressure on generation costs. Additionally, second-quarter results were held back by higher operating costs, interest expense and depreciation, underscoring sensitivity to non-operating and cost trends. The increasing cost trend is likely to have continued in the third quarter. This, in turn, is expected to have dragged down overall earnings. In particular, our estimate for Southern Company’s net income is pegged at $1.5 billion, indicating a 0.9% decrease from the year-ago quarter.
What Does Our Model Say?
The proven Zacks model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for SO for the third quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. But that’s not the case here.
You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, for this company is -0.22%.
Zacks Rank: SO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Stocks to Consider
While an earnings beat looks uncertain for The Southern Company, here are some firms from the utilities space that you may want to consider based on our model:
Xcel Energy (XEL): It has an Earnings ESP of +0.38% and a Zacks Rank #3. Xcel Energy is scheduled to release earnings on Oct. 30.
For 2025, Xcel Energy has a projected earnings growth rate of 8.9%. Valued at around $47.7 billion, it has gained 23.5% in a year.
ONE Gas, Inc. (OGS): It has an Earnings ESP of +1.14% and a Zacks Rank #2. ONE Gas is scheduled to release earnings on Nov. 3.
For 2025, ONE Gas Energy has a projected earnings growth rate of 11.3%. Valued at around $5 billion, it has gained 11.7% in a year.
The AES Corporation (AES): It has an Earnings ESP of +6.48% and a Zacks Rank #3. The AES Corporation is scheduled to release earnings on Nov. 4.
The AES Corporation beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed in the other, with the average being 20.2%. Valued at around $10.2 billion, it has lost 16.4% in a year.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Southern Company Q3 Earnings Preview: Another Beat in Store?

Southern today announced a regular quarterly dividend of 74 cents per share on the company's common stock, payable December 8, 2025, to shareholders of record as of November 17, 2025. Every quarter for 78 consecutive years, Southern Company has paid a dividend to its shareholders that is equal to or greater than the previous quarter.
Apple Hospitality REIT today announced that its Board of Directors declared a regular monthly cash distribution of $0.08 per common share. The distribution is payable on November 17, 2025, to shareholders of record as of October 31, 2025. Based on the Company's common stock closing price of $11.55 on October 17, 2025, the annualized distribution of $0.96 per common share represents an annual yield of approximately 8.3%.
NRG Energy today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend on the Company's common stock of $0.44 per share, or $1.76 per share on an annualized basis. The dividend is payable on November 17, 2025, to stockholders of record as of November 3, 2025.
Huntington Bancshares announced that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock of $0.155 per common share, unchanged from the prior quarter. The common stock cash dividend is payable January 2, 2026, to shareholders of record on December 18, 2025.
The board of directors of MGE Energy, today declared the regular quarterly dividend of $0.4750 per share on the outstanding shares of the company's common stock, payable Dec. 15, 2025, to shareholders of record at the close of business Dec. 1, 2025. MGE Energy has increased its dividend annually for the past 50 years and has paid cash dividends for more than 110 years.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Daily Dividend Report: SO,APLE,NRG,HBAN,MGEE

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (Symbol: XLU) where we have detected an approximate $389.2 million dollar inflow -- that's a 1.8% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 242,274,160 to 246,524,160). Among the largest underlying components of XLU, in trading today NextEra Energy Inc (Symbol: NEE) is up about 0.3%, Constellation Energy Corp (Symbol: CEG) is up about 0.1%, and Southern Company (Symbol: SO) is up by about 0.1%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the XLU Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of XLU, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, XLU's low point in its 52 week range is $71.02 per share, with $93.77 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $91.70. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
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Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

XLU, NEE, CEG, SO: ETF Inflow Alert

Key Points
After stagnating for two decades, U.S. electricity demand is poised to accelerate in the coming years due to industrial reshoring, electrification, and artificial intelligence.
The utilities sector underperformed the S&P 500 during the last 20 years, but the sector has beat the broader market in 2025 and that trend could in the years ahead.
The Vanguard Utilities ETF provides exposure to leading power producers and electricity suppliers like Constellation Energy, Vistra, and American Electric Power.
Despite increased economic activity, U.S. electricity demand stagnated during the last two decades due to the introduction of energy-efficient technologies like LED lights and modern appliances. During that period, the utilities sector underperformed the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) by 280 percentage points.
However, Goldman Sachs estimates U.S. electricity consumption will increase at 2.4% annually through 2030, the fastest growth since the internet become popular in the 1990s. That massive increase in demand will be driven by the convergence of three major trends.
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Electrification: Businesses and consumers are transitioning away from fossil fuels in favor of electric cars and electric industrial equipment.
Industrial reshoring: Businesses have a clear incentive to manufacture more products in the U.S. to avoid tariffs imposed by President Trump.
Artificial intelligence: Data center electricity consumption is increasing as AI workloads become more prevalent and AI models become more complex.
Those trends are already moving the stock market. The utilities sector has added 23% year to date, putting it 10 percentage points ahead of the S&P 500. Those market-beating returns could continue through 2030 as electricity demand increases, and investors can lean into that once-in-a-decade opportunity by owning shares of the Vanguard Utilities ETF (NYSEMKT: VPU).
Here are the important details.
The Vanguard Utilities ETF provides exposure to the largest power generators and electric suppliers
The Vanguard Utilities ETF tracks the performance of 69 U.S. utility companies. The index fund is most heavily weighted toward electric utilities, but it also provides exposure to gas, water, and multi-utility companies, as well as independent power producers. The 10 largest holdings are listed by weight below:
NextEra Energy: 10.3%
Constellation Energy: 6.8%
Southern Company: 6.6%
Duke Energy: 6.4%
Vistra: 4%
American Electric Power: 3.9%
Sempra Energy: 3.9%
Dominion Energy: 3.4%
Xcel Energy: 3.1%
Exelon: 3%
Nine of the 10 stocks listed above have outperformed the S&P 500 year to date. Sempra is the only company to underperform. But Constellation Energy, Vistra, and American Electric Power have more than compensated with particularly strong returns.
Constellation Energy is the largest producer of carbon-free energy and the leading competitive retail supplier of power in the U.S. The stock has advanced 81% year to date.
Vistra is the leading competitive power producer and the second largest competitive retail supplier of power in the U.S. The stock has advanced 53% year to date.
American Electric Power is one of the largest regulated power producers and it owns the largest electricity transmission network in the U.S. The stock has advanced 29% year to date.
The Vanguard Utilities ETF has an expense ratio of 0.09%, meaning shareholders will pay $9 per year on every $10,000 invested in the fund. The average expense ratio on similar funds is 1.01%, according to Vanguard.
This Vanguard Utilities ETF is best owned alongside other AI stocks and index funds
The Vanguard Utilities ETF achieved a total return of 186% during the last decade, which is equivalent to 11% annually. Comparatively, the S&P 500 achieved a total return of 300% in the last decade, which is equal to 14.8% annually. The same pattern holds over the last five years as well.
While I believe that pattern will reverse and the utilities sector will beat the S&P 500 over the next three to five years, investors with diversified portfolios have a better chance of benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. There are plenty of individual AI stocks worth owning, but investors should also consider an S&P 500 index fund.
The S&P 500 includes many of the most influential stocks in the world, and more than half the companies in the index mentioned AI during their last earnings call. Furthermore, the S&P 500 has typically been a profitable investment over long periods, and the index beat most other asset classes during the last decade, including benchmarks for fixed income, international equities, precious metals, and real estate.
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Trevor Jennewine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Constellation Energy, Goldman Sachs Group, and NextEra Energy. The Motley Fool recommends Dominion Energy and Duke Energy. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

A Once-in-a-Decade Investment Opportunity: 1 Vanguard Index Fund to Buy for the AI Boom

Southern Co. (SO) closed the most recent trading day at $98.43, moving -1.29% from the previous trading session. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.63% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.65%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.47%.
The power company's stock has climbed by 8.83% in the past month, exceeding the Utilities sector's gain of 3.16% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.92%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Southern Co. in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on October 30, 2025. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $1.47, marking a 2.8% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $7.49 billion, indicating a 2.97% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.28 per share and a revenue of $28.52 billion, demonstrating changes of +5.68% and +6.71%, respectively, from the preceding year.
It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Southern Co. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.01% lower within the past month. Currently, Southern Co. is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Southern Co. has a Forward P/E ratio of 23.32 right now. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 19.43.
It's also important to note that SO currently trades at a PEG ratio of 3.53. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Utility - Electric Power was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.9 at yesterday's closing price.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 48, positioning it in the top 20% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Southern Co. (SO) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, in trading on Thursday, shares of Southern Company (Symbol: SO) were yielding above the 3% mark based on its quarterly dividend (annualized to $2.96), with the stock changing hands as low as $98.59 on the day. Dividends are particularly important for investors to consider, because historically speaking dividends have provided a considerable share of the stock market's total return. To illustrate, suppose for example you purchased shares of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) back on 12/31/1999 — you would have paid $146.88 per share. Fast forward to 12/31/2012 and each share was worth $142.41 on that date, a decrease of $4.67/share over all those years. But now consider that you collected a whopping $25.98 per share in dividends over the same period, for a positive total return of 23.36%. Even with dividends reinvested, that only amounts to an average annual total return of about 1.6%; so by comparison collecting a yield above 3% would appear considerably attractive if that yield is sustainable. Southern Company (Symbol: SO) is an S&P 500 company, giving it special status as one of the large-cap companies making up the S&P 500 Index.
In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of Southern Company, looking at the history chart for SO below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 3% annual yield.
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SO has been growing its dividend for more than 20 years consecutively. For more dividend growth stocks view our Dividend Aristocrats List on Dividend Channel.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

SO Crosses Above 3% Yield Territory

Fintel reports that on October 15, 2025, Keybanc maintained coverage of Southern (NYSE:SO) with a Underweight recommendation.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 1.29% Downside
As of September 30, 2025, the average one-year price target for Southern is $98.44/share. The forecasts range from a low of $73.85 to a high of $113.40. The average price target represents a decrease of 1.29% from its latest reported closing price of $99.72 / share.
See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.
The projected annual revenue for Southern is 28,926MM, an increase of 1.98%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 4.37.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 3,087 funds or institutions reporting positions in Southern. This is an decrease of 11 owner(s) or 0.36% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to SO is 0.35%, an increase of 5.67%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 4.33% to 940,746K shares. The put/call ratio of SO is 0.46, indicating a bullish outlook.
What are Other Shareholders Doing?
Jpmorgan Chase holds 68,964K shares representing 6.27% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 63,585K shares , representing an increase of 7.80%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 3.00% over the last quarter.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 35,408K shares representing 3.22% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 34,593K shares , representing an increase of 2.30%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 8.80% over the last quarter.
VFINX - Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares holds 31,198K shares representing 2.84% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 30,445K shares , representing an increase of 2.41%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 9.08% over the last quarter.
Geode Capital Management holds 26,007K shares representing 2.36% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 25,765K shares , representing an increase of 0.93%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 52.37% over the last quarter.
Capital International Investors holds 25,891K shares representing 2.35% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 25,771K shares , representing an increase of 0.46%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 12.12% over the last quarter.
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Keybanc Maintains Southern (SO) Underweight Recommendation

Fintel reports that on October 14, 2025, Barclays maintained coverage of Southern (NYSE:SO) with a Equal-Weight recommendation.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 1.25% Downside
As of September 30, 2025, the average one-year price target for Southern is $98.44/share. The forecasts range from a low of $73.85 to a high of $113.40. The average price target represents a decrease of 1.25% from its latest reported closing price of $99.68 / share.
See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.
The projected annual revenue for Southern is 28,926MM, an increase of 1.98%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 4.37.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 3,089 funds or institutions reporting positions in Southern. This is an decrease of 7 owner(s) or 0.23% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to SO is 0.36%, an increase of 5.27%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 4.29% to 940,849K shares. The put/call ratio of SO is 0.46, indicating a bullish outlook.
What are Other Shareholders Doing?
Jpmorgan Chase holds 68,964K shares representing 6.27% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 63,585K shares , representing an increase of 7.80%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 3.00% over the last quarter.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 35,408K shares representing 3.22% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 34,593K shares , representing an increase of 2.30%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 8.80% over the last quarter.
VFINX - Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares holds 31,198K shares representing 2.84% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 30,445K shares , representing an increase of 2.41%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 9.08% over the last quarter.
Geode Capital Management holds 26,007K shares representing 2.36% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 25,765K shares , representing an increase of 0.93%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 52.37% over the last quarter.
Capital International Investors holds 25,891K shares representing 2.35% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 25,771K shares , representing an increase of 0.46%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 12.12% over the last quarter.
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Barclays Maintains Southern (SO) Equal-Weight Recommendation

If you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Southern Co. (SO). This company, which is in the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, shows potential for another earnings beat.
This power company has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 3.55%.
For the most recent quarter, Southern Co. was expected to post earnings of $0.87 per share, but it reported $0.91 per share instead, representing a surprise of 4.60%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $1.2 per share, while it actually produced $1.23 per share, a surprise of 2.50%.
Price and EPS Surprise
For Southern Co., estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Southern Co. has an Earnings ESP of +2.16% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on October 30, 2025.
With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
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With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why Southern Co. (SO) Could Beat Earnings Estimates Again

Fintel reports that on October 10, 2025, UBS maintained coverage of Southern (NYSE:SO) with a Neutral recommendation.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 0.16% Upside
As of September 30, 2025, the average one-year price target for Southern is $98.44/share. The forecasts range from a low of $73.85 to a high of $113.40. The average price target represents an increase of 0.16% from its latest reported closing price of $98.28 / share.
See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.
The projected annual revenue for Southern is 28,926MM, an increase of 1.98%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 4.37.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 3,085 funds or institutions reporting positions in Southern. This is an decrease of 9 owner(s) or 0.29% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to SO is 0.36%, an increase of 5.13%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 4.38% to 941,045K shares. The put/call ratio of SO is 0.50, indicating a bullish outlook.
What are Other Shareholders Doing?
Jpmorgan Chase holds 68,964K shares representing 6.27% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 63,585K shares , representing an increase of 7.80%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 3.00% over the last quarter.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 35,408K shares representing 3.22% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 34,593K shares , representing an increase of 2.30%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 8.80% over the last quarter.
VFINX - Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares holds 31,198K shares representing 2.84% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 30,445K shares , representing an increase of 2.41%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 9.08% over the last quarter.
Geode Capital Management holds 26,007K shares representing 2.36% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 25,765K shares , representing an increase of 0.93%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 52.37% over the last quarter.
Capital International Investors holds 25,891K shares representing 2.35% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 25,771K shares , representing an increase of 0.46%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 12.12% over the last quarter.
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Indicator	TTM Median
P/E	23.03 20.24
Price/Sales	3.79 2.48
P/B	2.75 1.67
P/FCF	84.25 15.77

Indicator	TTM Median
ROE	12.12 9.29
ROA	3.08 2.95
ROI	4.58 4.30
Net Worth	101.26 4.70
Quick Ratio	0.48 0.73
Current Ratio	0.67 0.87

Indicator	TTM Median
Net Profit Margin	16.47 13.33
Operating Margin	26.45 20.55
Gross Margin	74.39 63.05
Return on tangible equity	14.28 10.97

Indicator	TTM Median
EPS	1.23 0.79
EPS Forecast	1.20 0.68
Revenue	6.34B 510.50M
Gross Profit	4.66B —
EBITDA	2.41B —

Southern Company (The)

TTM metrics for the latest quarter under IFRS and their historical dynamics

Valuation

Debts

Efficiency

Other ratios

Revenue