Southern Company (SO)

Over the past six months, The Southern Company's stock has trended up by 2.14%. Key events include the Q2 2025 earnings report where EPS missed estimates but revenue increased, a quarterly dividend announcement of $0.74 per share, an expansion of the five-year base capital plan by $13 billion, analyst rating changes from various firms, and Moody's Ratings changing the company's outlook to negative.

Demand for The Southern Company's products and services exhibits seasonality, driven by weather patterns and economic activity. The system experiences high summer and winter peak demand, with weaker demand in Q2. Overall, there is a steady and growing demand for energy in the Southern United States, fueled by population increases and the power needs of data centers and industrial growth.

The Southern Company is an energy company involved in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as natural gas distribution. It operates in the Utilities sector, focusing on Electric Utilities and Natural Gas Distribution. The company's major products and services include electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, natural gas distribution, wholesale energy sales, distributed energy infrastructure, and fiber optics network and telecommunications services.

The Southern Company serves approximately 9 million gas and electric utility customers across six states. Its regulated regional electric utilities operate in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Natural gas distribution companies serve customers in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Southern Power owns or operates 55 facilities in 15 states across the U.S.

The Southern Company has maintained a strong brand reputation, being named to FORTUNE's list of the World's Most Admired Companies for 2025. It was ranked highly in social responsibility, financial soundness, and long-term investment value. Key events contributing to its reputation include the completion of the Plant Vogtle expansion, recovery efforts during Hurricane Helene, and reliably serving a historic amount of electricity during Winter Storm Heather. The company was also recognized as a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" and earned a top score on the Corporate Equality Index.

Institutional investors hold a significant majority (70-71%) of The Southern Company's shares. The general public owns approximately 29-30%, and insiders own less than 1%. Major institutional owners include Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock, Inc., and JPMorgan Chase & Co, among others.