Where it trades today
trading 10% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Rate sensitivity and regulatory visibility matter because the market tends to reward predictable cash generation here.
- SO trades at 20.6x earnings, well above the utilities average of 16.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- SO carries a beta of 0.32, which means the stock should be judged on how it affects total portfolio swings, not just on standalone upside.
- SO remains in a bearish short-term trend and sits 15.2% below its high, which raises the bar for any thesis that depends on fast multiple expansion.
Portfolio Use Case
- SO is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in SO.
- A recovery in price alone would not be enough to improve the view; the thesis needs confirmation from improving business or valuation signals.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as NEE, DUK, D start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for SO come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Utilities so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as NEE, DUK, D.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for SO. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:56 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as NEE, DUK, D.
What Southern Company does
The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the sale of electricity. The company offers electric service to retail customers and wholesale customers; and energy-related products and services to natural gas choice markets. It also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, operates, and manages power generation assets, as well as battery energy storage projects; sells electricity at market-based rates in the wholesale market; and deploys microgrids for commercial, industrial, governmental, and utility customers. In addition, the company is involved in the distribution of natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee; distributes energy and resilience solutions; and…
Employees
29,502
Industry
Utilities - Regulated Electric
Headquarters
Atlanta, United States
What analysts expect
SO carries a hold consensus from 19 analysts, with an average price target of $99.97 versus $85.52 today (+16.9%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
SO generated $30.18B in trailing revenue (0.1% year over year), with a 15.4% net margin, and -$3.91B of free cash flow, against $74.10B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29.55B | $14.32B | $7.29B | $4.34B | $4.30 | -$2.94B |
| 2024 | $26.72B | $13.36B | $7.07B | $4.40B | $4.05 | $833.00M |
| 2023 | $25.25B | $11.78B | $5.83B | $3.98B | $3.64 | -$1.54B |
| 2022 | $29.28B | $10.63B | $5.37B | $3.54B | $3.28 | -$1.62B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in utilities
Stable, regulated sector providing electricity, gas, and water services.
The companies it competes with
SO beside the utilities names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Southern Company trades at $85.52, 15.2% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 0.32, it shows less sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is SO a good buy right now?
Southern Company trades at 20.6x earnings. This is near market average. Current risk level is Low based on 13.7% volatility.
Does SO pay dividends?
Yes, Southern Company offers a dividend yield of 3.50%. That is roughly $2.99 per share a year.
How volatile is SO?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 13.7% and beta of 0.32, SO is classified as Low risk. The stock tends to be more stable than the market average.
What is the analyst price target for SO?
The average analyst price target for Southern Company (SO) is $99.97 based on 19 analyst estimates, about 16.9% above the current price of $85.52. The published range runs from $79.00 to $114.00.
How much revenue does SO generate?
Southern Company reported $30.18B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 0.1% year over year. Net margin sits at 15.4%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.