Stock·NYSE·Utilities
Southern Company (SO)
- Market cap
- $104.86B
- P/E
- 21.18
- Dividend yield
- 3.29%
- Street target
- $101.00median of 23 analysts
- 52-week range
- $81.69 $99.58
The short version
Where SO stands today, in four lines, and what CleaRank Financial AI makes of it.
SO at a glance
Southern Company (SO): Buy, 62/100 on CleaRank's AI score.
- Trend Mixed: the price is above its 50-day but below its 200-day moving average ($87.81 and $92.19).
- Earnings SO beat estimates in 6 of its last 7 quarters, yet fell the next day after 3 of those beats.
- Insiders Insiders sold $8.8M and made no open-market purchases over the last 18 months.
- Valuation P/E of 21.2 against 22.8 for the Utilities sector: broadly in line with peers (-7%).
Figures as of October 16, 2026.
CleaRank Financial AI
CleaRank rates Southern Company (SO) Buy, with a model score of 62/100.
Momentum lifts the score most: the 14-day RSI of 72.6 is in the overbought zone and the MACD line is positive. Revenue growth holds it back most: revenue grew 0.10%, 4.0 percentage points slower than the sector median. The trend is mixed: SO trades 3.80% above its 50-day average of $87.81 and 1.13% below its 200-day average of $92.19. Over the past year the price fell 7.40%.
Only on CleaRank
Figures we compute ourselves from SO's own price, earnings and insider-filing history. Tap one to see it in context.
Price and trading
The chart, today's range and how far the price has moved over each period.
Trend checks
2/4Price above its 50-day average ›
The price of $91.15 is 3.8% above the 50-day simple moving average of $87.81.Price above its 200-day average ›
The price is 1.1% below the 200-day simple moving average of $92.19.50-day average above the 200-day ›
The 50-day average ($87.81) is 4.7% below the 200-day average ($92.19), the arrangement of a falling longer-term trend.In the upper half of its 52-week range ›
The price sits at 53% of its 52-week range, between $81.69 and $99.58.
SO share price
Pick a period: each tab shows how far SO has moved over it, to the last close.
Today's trading
Where SO sits inside today's range and its 52-week range.
Fundamentals
Valuation against the sector, and the revenue and earnings behind it.
Valuation and quality checks
4/5P/E below the sector median ›
The trailing P/E of 21.18 is 7.1% below the Utilities median of 22.8.P/S below the sector median ›
The price-to-sales ratio of 3.40 is 3.0% above the sector median of 3.3.Profitable over the last 12 months ›
Net income over the last 12 months was $4.7B on revenue of $30.2B, a net margin of 15.4%.Beat estimates in most recent reports ›
SO beat the EPS estimate in 6 of its last 7 reports.Pays a dividend ›
The trailing dividend yield is 3.29%, or $3.00 a share a year.
Key statistics
The headline figures for SO.
As of October 16, 2026, SO trades at $91.15, with a market value of $104.86B, a P/E ratio of 21.18 and a dividend yield of 3.29%.
What the numbers say
CleaRank Financial AI's reading of SO's valuation, growth and risks.
Southern Company (SO) trades on a trailing P/E of 21.18, which is 7.1% below the Utilities median of 22.8. The Peer Benchmarking card labels the P/E broadly in line with peers. On sales, SO is priced at 3.40 times, 3.0% above the sector median of 3.3. With a market capitalisation of $104.9B, SO is a large company by this measure.
SO's revenue growth of 0.10% runs 4.0 percentage points slower than the sector median of 4.1%. Even so, the company turns sales into profit well, with a net margin of 15.44% and an operating margin of 29.61%. Return on equity, the profit earned on shareholders' capital, is 11.48%, above the sector median of 9.6%. On the balance sheet, debt-to-equity stands at 1.82, and the trailing dividend yield is 3.29%, equal to $3.00 a share each year.
The July 30, 2026 report was a beat: EPS of $1.13 came in 11.88% above the $1.01 that analysts had expected. In the next session, shares moved up 0.21%.
SO has beaten the EPS estimate in 6 of its last 7 reports, yet the stock fell the next session after 3 of those 6 beats. Analysts expect this fiscal year's average EPS of $4.59, a rise of 6.7%, followed by $4.92 next year, which would be growth of 7.3%.
Daily swings are the main risk to plan around, since SO has moved 0.98% on an average session. Over the last 18 months insiders sold $8.8M of stock and made no open-market purchases. Sales of this kind are often planned in advance, so they tell an investor less than purchases would.
SO against the Utilities sector
How SO compares with the median Utilities stock CleaRank tracks.
Price to earnings vs sector: Valuation is broadly in line with sector peers (-7% difference), suggesting fair market pricing relative to industry standards.
Return vs XLU: Since May 6, 2025, SO has lost 0.1% against a gain of 4.8% for XLU.
Performance against XLU
SO and the Utilities sector fund over the same days.
Revenue and earnings
How much SO sells, and how much of it becomes profit.
Revenue growth: Revenue grew 10.6% in FY2025 to $29.6B, from $26.7B a year earlier.
Profit margin: The net margin was 14.1% in FY2025, down from 15.9% the year before.
Profitable: SO earned $4.2B in FY2025.
Earnings reality check
Did SO beat what analysts expected, and how did the stock react?
Earnings record: SO beat the analyst estimate in 6 of the last 7 quarters.
Market reaction: The stock fell in the first session after 3 of those 6 beats, so a beat has not been enough on its own.
| Report | Estimate | Actual | Surprise | First session | 5 sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026after close | $1.01 | $1.13 | +11.88% | +0.21% | -1.53% |
| Apr 30, 2026after close | $1.21 | $1.32 | +9.09% | +0.01% | -4.42% |
| Oct 30, 2025after close | $1.51 | $1.60 | +5.96% | -1.08% | -4.39% |
| Jul 31, 2025after close | $0.88 | $0.92 | +4.55% | +0.54% | +0.92% |
| May 1, 2025after close | $1.19 | $1.23 | +3.36% | -0.45% | -1.26% |
| Feb 20, 2025after close | $0.51 | $0.50 | -1.96% | +0.66% | +0.54% |
| Oct 31, 2024after close | $1.34 | $1.43 | +6.72% | -2.74% | -4.50% |
As of October 16, 2026, SO has beaten the analyst EPS estimate in 6 of its last 7 reported quarters and fell in the first trading session after 3 of those beats; its latest report, on July 30, 2026, came in 11.88% above the estimate and the stock moved +0.21% in the first session.
The first session is the first full trading day on the news: the report day itself for a report before the open, the next day for one after the close. Surprise is actual EPS against the consensus estimate.
AI analysis and technicals
CleaRank's score and reasoning, the indicators behind it, and what the price moves with.
Momentum checks
2/3RSI not overbought or oversold ›
The 14-day RSI is 72.6, in overbought territory.RSI above 50 ›
An RSI of 72.6 is above the 50 midpoint, so buyers have had the upper hand over the last 14 days.MACD line above zero ›
The MACD line is positive, so the 12-day average is above the 26-day average.
CleaRank AI analysis of SO
The score, the reasoning behind it, and what could move the price next.
Southern Company (SO) shows a mixed trend. The price of $91.15 is 3.80% above its 50-day average of $87.81, yet it is 1.13% below its 200-day average of $92.19. The 50-day average is 4.75% below the 200-day, a sign that the recent recovery has not yet climbed to the longer-run averages. Inside its 52-week range of $81.69 to $99.58, the price sits at 53% of the range and is 8.47% below the high.
Momentum is stretched: the 14-day RSI sits at 72.6, inside the overbought zone, and the MACD line is positive. Those short-term gains come against a weaker longer picture. Over the past month the price rose 5.71%, but over the past three months it fell 4.35%, and over the past year it fell 7.40%. Last session's volume was 92.5% above its average, on a day the price climbed 2.21%.
Earnings beat ›
The July 30, 2026 report beat the EPS estimate by 11.88%, and the share price rose 0.21% in the first session after it.
Source: Earnings report, July 30, 2026Rating reaffirmed ›
Citigroup kept its Buy rating on September 25, 2026.
Source: Analyst action, Citigroup, September 25, 2026
Analyst downgrade ›
Keybanc downgraded it to Underweight from Sector Weight on July 23, 2026.
Source: Analyst action, Keybanc, July 23, 2026
- The two closest levels matter most: the 200-day SMA at $92.19 sits above the price, and the 50-day SMA at $87.81 sits below it.
- A 14-day RSI of 72.6 lands in the overbought zone, and the MACD line is positive. Readings above 70 or below 30 point to stretched momentum.
- Following the July 30, 2026 report, the share price climbed 0.21% in the first session. Estimates have been beaten in 6 of the last 7 reports.
SO sits above its 50-day average of $87.81 but below its 200-day average of $92.19, so the trend is mixed. Should the price close above the 200-day, both signals would turn up. A close below the 50-day would turn both down. The nearest levels are the 50-day SMA at $87.81 beneath the price and the 200-day SMA at $92.19 above it.
With the RSI above the overbought line, a pause in momentum would not be surprising, even while the uptrend holds.
Technical indicators
Momentum and trend for SO, from its daily closes.
As of October 16, 2026, with SO at $91.15, its 14-day RSI is 72.6 (overbought territory), its 50-day simple moving average is $87.81 and its 200-day is $92.19.
Calculated by CleaRank on daily closes as of October 16, 2026: Wilder's 14-day RSI, 50- and 200-day simple moving averages, MACD line (12, 26).
What SO moves with
Correlation of daily returns over one year: +1 moves in step, 0 has no link, -1 moves the opposite way.
As of October 16, 2026, SO's 1-year correlation of daily returns is -0.04 with S&P 500 (SPY), -0.17 with Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), -0.08 with Bitcoin (BTC) and +0.11 with gold (XAU).
What Wall Street expects
The analysts' target range and how their ratings split.
Analysts checks
2/3Most analysts rate it a buy ›
7 of 23 analysts rate it a buy or strong buy, 14 a hold and 2 a sell.Median target above the price ›
The median 12-month target of $101.00 is 10.8% above the price.More buy ratings than three months ago ›
7 of 23 rate it a buy now, against 7 of 24 three months ago.
SO Wall Street View
12-month price targets
Ratings
Recent rating actions
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Underweight |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Underweight |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold |
| Jul 27, 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Outperform |
| Jul 23, 2026 | Keybanc | Downgrade | Underweight |
As of October 16, 2026, 23 Wall Street analysts cover SO: 7 rate it a buy or strong buy, 14 a hold and 2 a sell or strong sell. Their 12-month price targets range from $79.00 to $112.00, with a median of $101.00, 10.8% above the price of $91.15.
Source: TwelveData analyst consensus. Targets and ratings belong to the analysts, not to CleaRank.
A trade plan, if you want one
Entry, stop and target levels from the moving averages and recent volatility. Educational, not advice.
SO trade plan
Entry, stop and target levels, sized to your account. Change the bias or the risk and every level updates.
Long entry pick an entry style
Risk management
Profit targets (Based on Conservative Entry)
These levels come from SO's moving averages and recent volatility, not from a forecast. Educational levels, not financial advice; the full disclaimer is at the foot of the page.
Risk profile
How much SO tends to move, against the market and on its own.
The long record
SO's worst falls and recoveries, what $10,000 became, and which months have been kind to it.
Track record checks
3/4Average daily move under 2% ›
The price has moved 0.98% on an average day (30-day standard deviation of daily returns).Recovered from its worst fall ›
The worst fall was 27.1%, from February 2020 to March 2020, regained by August 2021.Most 1-year holds ended higher ›
78% of 1-year holding periods in the last 10 years ended with a gain.Beat the S&P 500 since the chart begins ›
$10,000 invested in October 2016 is now worth $26,427, against $42,525 in the S&P 500 (SPY).
SO Drawdowns & Recovery
As of October 16, 2026, SO's worst peak-to-trough fall over the last 10 years with dividends reinvested was -27.1% (February 2020 to March 2020); it regained that peak by August 2021, 17 months after the low, and 78% of 1-year holding periods ended with a gain.
From weekly closing values with dividends reinvested. A drawdown is the fall from the highest value reached so far to a later low.
Growth of $10,000
What $10,000 put into SO in October 2016 is worth now, against the same amount in the S&P 500.
Against the market: SO trailed the S&P 500 over this period: $26,427 against $42,525.
A $10,000 investment in SO in October 2016 would be worth about $26,427 today with dividends reinvested, compared with about $42,525 for the same investment in the S&P 500 benchmark (also with dividends reinvested).
Seasonal patterns
Which calendar months have been kind to SO, and which have not.
Strongest month, April: an average of +3.66%, up in 8 of 10 years.
Weakest month, December: an average of -0.67%, up in 4 of 10 years.
This month, October: has averaged +0.95%, up in 6 of 9 years. Past seasonality does not repeat on schedule.
Over the last 10 years, SO's strongest calendar month has been April (average +3.66%, up in 8 of 10 years) and its weakest December (average -0.67%, up in 4 of 10 years).
Average return for each calendar month over the last 10 years, from weekly closing prices with dividends included.
Long-term scenarios
Thousands of simulated paths from the price history. A range of outcomes, not a forecast.
Monte Carlo projection
Thousands of simulated paths for $10,000 in SO, from its own past volatility. The shaded area holds 80% of them.
CleaRank's 10-year Monte Carlo simulation projects that a $10,000 investment in SO today could grow to about $18,042 by 2036 in the base case, with a 90th-percentile outcome near $43,971 and a 10th-percentile outcome around $7,403. The simulation models price only; at today's 3.29% yield, dividends would add to these figures. Projections are statistical simulations, not guarantees.
SO Stock Price Prediction: 2030
The same simulation in share prices, year by year.
CleaRank's simulation projects a price near $115 for SO by 2030 in the base case, from $91.15 today (1.3x over 4 years). The 10th-percentile path ends near $65.70. These are outcomes of a Monte Carlo simulation run on SO's historical return distribution, not price targets, and they assume no dividends are reinvested.
| Year | 10th percentile | Base case | 90th percentile | range base today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | $72.95 | $96.69 | $128 | |
| 2028 | $68.86 | $103 | $153 | |
| 2029 | $66.79 | $109 | $177 | |
| 2030 | $65.70 | $115 | $203 | |
| 2031 | $65.21 | $122 | $230 |
Method: a lognormal simulation of SO's own volatility and capped historical trend, re-run daily; base case is the median path, the outer columns the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Insider trading
What the people running the company have bought and sold.
SO insider trading
Shares the company's directors and officers bought and sold, from their own filings.
Month by month
Open-market purchases above the line, sales below.
Insider buying: No insider bought SO shares on the open market in the last 18 months. Sales are often planned in advance or cover tax on vesting shares, so they say less than purchases would.
As of October 16, 2026, SO insiders reported 17 open-market sales worth $8.8M and no open-market purchases over the last 18 months; grants and option exercises are not counted.
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 100 | $8.3K |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Peter P Sena III
Officer
|
Sell | 4.3K | $377.9K |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 1.4K | $124.4K |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 100 | $8.8K |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Sterling A. Spainhour Jr.
Officer
|
Sell | 3.3K | $313.4K |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 100 | $9.4K |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 100 | $9.6K |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Peter P Sena III
Officer
|
Grant | 712 | - |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 100 | $9.1K |
| May 22, 2026 | Christopher C. Womack
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 7.7K | - |
| May 1, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 100 | $9.7K |
| Apr 1, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Grant | 82 | - |
| Mar 30, 2026 | Kimberly S Greene
Officer
|
Sell | 25.0K | $2.4M |
| Mar 19, 2026 | Christopher Cummiskey
Officer
|
Sell | 6.7K | $643.9K |
| Mar 18, 2026 | Stanley W Connally Jr
Chief Operating Officer
|
Sell | 12.5K | $1.2M |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Sloane N Drake
Officer
|
Grant | 1.4K | - |
| Feb 26, 2026 | Anthony F Earley Jr
Director
|
Grant | 15.0K | - |
| Feb 24, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Sell | 5.1K | $487.5K |
| Feb 13, 2026 | Christopher C. Womack
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 179.6K | - |
| Feb 13, 2026 | Christopher C. Womack
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 13.8K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Bryan D Anderson
Officer
|
Grant | 1.7K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Bryan D Anderson
Officer
|
Grant | 26.3K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Pedro P Cherry
Officer
|
Grant | 9.7K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Pedro P Cherry
Officer
|
Grant | 406 | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Stanley W Connally Jr
Chief Operating Officer
|
Grant | 2.4K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Stanley W Connally Jr
Chief Operating Officer
|
Grant | 41.0K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Christopher Cummiskey
Officer
|
Grant | 22.2K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Christopher Cummiskey
Officer
|
Grant | 1.5K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Sloane N Drake
Officer
|
Grant | 1.3K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Sloane N Drake
Officer
|
Grant | 18.2K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Kimberly S Greene
Officer
|
Grant | 51.9K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Kimberly S Greene
Officer
|
Grant | 3.4K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | James Y. Kerr II
Officer
|
Grant | 44.5K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | James Y. Kerr II
Officer
|
Grant | 2.8K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Grant | 4.5K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | James Jeffrey Peoples
Officer
|
Grant | 2.9K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | James Jeffrey Peoples
Officer
|
Grant | 41.8K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | David P Poroch
Chief Financial Officer
|
Grant | 568 | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | David P Poroch
Chief Financial Officer
|
Grant | 9.5K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Peter P Sena III
Officer
|
Grant | 2.3K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Peter P Sena III
Officer
|
Grant | 22.7K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Sterling A. Spainhour Jr.
Officer
|
Grant | 2.5K | - |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Sterling A. Spainhour Jr.
Officer
|
Grant | 30.6K | - |
| Feb 6, 2026 | Sloane N Drake
Officer
|
Grant | 3.7K | - |
| Feb 5, 2026 | Pedro P Cherry
Officer
|
Grant | 550 | - |
| Feb 5, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Grant | 292 | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Bryan D Anderson
Officer
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Pedro P Cherry
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 1.5K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Stanley W Connally Jr
Chief Operating Officer
|
Grant | 5.3K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Christopher Cummiskey
Officer
|
Grant | 3.5K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Sloane N Drake
Officer
|
Grant | 1.6K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Kimberly S Greene
Officer
|
Grant | 8.0K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | James Y. Kerr II
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 6.9K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Matthew M. Kim
Officer
|
Grant | 685 | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | James Jeffrey Peoples
Officer
|
Grant | 6.6K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | David P Poroch
Chief Financial Officer
|
Grant | 1.5K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Peter P Sena III
Officer
|
Grant | 3.5K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Sterling A. Spainhour Jr.
Officer
|
Grant | 5.1K | - |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Christopher C. Womack
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 19.0K | - |
| Dec 3, 2025 | James Y. Kerr II
Officer
|
Grant | 18.1K | - |
| Nov 6, 2025 | Stanley W Connally Jr
Chief Operating Officer
|
Grant | 2.4K | - |
| Sep 30, 2025 | Bryan D Anderson
Officer
|
Sell | 6.2K | $582.3K |
| Aug 11, 2025 | Sterling A. Spainhour Jr.
Officer
|
Sell | 2.4K | $226.1K |
| Jul 21, 2025 | Kimberly S Greene
Officer
|
Sell | 13.2K | $1.3M |
| May 23, 2025 | Christopher Cummiskey
Officer
|
Sell | 12.3K | $1.1M |
| May 23, 2025 | Christopher C. Womack
Chief Executive Officer
|
Option | 7.4K | $659.3K |
Source: TwelveData, from SEC Form 4 filings
Questions people ask
Answered from the figures on this page, as of October 16, 2026.