Southern Company (SO) Stock Price, Fundamentals & Analysis

What SO does

Southern Company (SO) is a US stock in the Utilities sector, specifically Utilities - Regulated Electric. Through its subsidiaries, the company sells electricity to retail and wholesale customers and offers energy-related products and services in natural gas choice markets. It develops, constructs, owns, and operates power generation assets and battery energy storage projects, sells electricity at market-based rates in the wholesale market, and deploys microgrids for commercial, industrial, governmental, and utility customers. The company also distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, distributes energy and resilience solutions, and invests in telecommunications. Southern Company was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Atlanta, United States. It is part of the S&P 500.

Key numbers explained

• The current price is 83,47 USD, reflecting the latest trading value of one share.
• The trailing P/E ratio of 20,1 compares the price to the last 12 months of earnings per share of 4,15 USD, showing how the market values each dollar of recent earnings.
• The forward P/E ratio of 17 uses expected future earnings, offering a look at valuation based on analyst estimates rather than past results.
• The dividend yield of 3,57% indicates the annual dividend payment as a percentage of the current share price, a common measure for income-focused investors.
• The ex-dividend date is 17 aug. 2026, the cutoff for eligibility to receive the next dividend payment.
• A beta of 0,32 suggests the stock has historically been less volatile than the overall market.
• The 52-week range of 83,21 – 100,84 shows the lowest and highest traded prices over the past year, with the current price near the low end of that span.
• The debt-to-equity ratio of 182,1% indicates the company uses more debt than equity to finance its assets, a typical profile for capital-intensive utility firms.

Recent news

Recent headlines note that Google is helping upgrade Southern’s nuclear plants, including a 96 MW capacity expansion to address AI power demand. Another story compares Southern Company with Duke Energy, highlighting the combination of yield, growth, and safety. Additional titles mention Georgia Power signing a Google deal to boost nuclear capacity and a sector update showing mixed energy stocks on a recent trading day.

What to watch

For a regulated electric utility like Southern Company, investors typically monitor regulatory decisions on electricity rates, fuel cost trends, and capital expenditure plans for generation and grid infrastructure. The company’s dividend policy and payout ratio, with 72% of earnings paid as dividends, are also relevant for income-oriented analysis. Broader factors include interest rate movements, which affect utility borrowing costs, and evolving energy demand patterns driven by technology and climate policy. Peers such as Dominion Energy (D), Duke Energy (DUK), and Edison International (EIX) can provide context for comparing business models and yields.