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SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) Stock Fundamental Analysis

USA - New York Stock Exchange - NYSE:SO - US8425871071 - Common Stock

87.2 USD
-0.37 (-0.42%)
Last: 12/31/2025, 8:04:00 PM
87.31 USD
+0.11 (+0.13%)
After Hours: 12/31/2025, 8:04:00 PM
Fundamental Rating

4

We assign a fundamental rating of 4 out of 10 to SO. SO was compared to 47 industry peers in the Electric Utilities industry. SO has an excellent profitability rating, but there are concerns on its financial health. SO is valied quite expensively at the moment, while it does show a decent growth rate. Finally SO also has an excellent dividend rating.


Dividend Valuation Growth Profitability Health

7

1. Profitability

1.1 Basic Checks

In the past year SO was profitable.
SO had a positive operating cash flow in the past year.
SO had positive earnings in each of the past 5 years.
In the past 5 years SO always reported a positive cash flow from operatings.
SO Yearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCFSO Yearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCFYearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCF 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 0 2B -2B 4B 6B 8B

1.2 Ratios

The Return On Assets of SO (2.91%) is comparable to the rest of the industry.
The Return On Equity of SO (12.74%) is better than 68.09% of its industry peers.
Looking at the Return On Invested Capital, with a value of 4.62%, SO is in the better half of the industry, outperforming 63.83% of the companies in the same industry.
SO had an Average Return On Invested Capital over the past 3 years of 4.14%. This is in line with the industry average of 5.04%.
The last Return On Invested Capital (4.62%) for SO is above the 3 year average (4.14%), which is a sign of increasing profitability.
Industry RankSector Rank
ROA 2.91%
ROE 12.74%
ROIC 4.62%
ROA(3y)2.83%
ROA(5y)2.58%
ROE(3y)12.5%
ROE(5y)11.4%
ROIC(3y)4.14%
ROIC(5y)4.02%
SO Yearly ROA, ROE, ROICSO Yearly ROA, ROE, ROICYearly ROA, ROE, ROIC 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 5 10 15

1.3 Margins

SO has a Profit Margin of 15.42%. This is in the better half of the industry: SO outperforms 63.83% of its industry peers.
SO's Profit Margin has declined in the last couple of years.
SO's Operating Margin of 25.68% is fine compared to the rest of the industry. SO outperforms 72.34% of its industry peers.
SO's Operating Margin has been stable in the last couple of years.
The Gross Margin of SO (89.28%) is better than 80.85% of its industry peers.
In the last couple of years the Gross Margin of SO has remained more or less at the same level.
Industry RankSector Rank
OM 25.68%
PM (TTM) 15.42%
GM 89.28%
OM growth 3Y5.39%
OM growth 5Y1.06%
PM growth 3Y16.73%
PM growth 5Y-5.73%
GM growth 3Y0.95%
GM growth 5Y0.39%
SO Yearly Profit, Operating, Gross MarginsSO Yearly Profit, Operating, Gross MarginsYearly Profit, Operating, Gross Margins 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 20 40 60 80

1

2. Health

2.1 Basic Checks

SO has a Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), which is below the Cost of Capital (WACC), which means it is destroying value.
SO has about the same amout of shares outstanding than it did 1 year ago.
Compared to 5 years ago, SO has about the same amount of shares outstanding.
Compared to 1 year ago, SO has a worse debt to assets ratio.
SO Yearly Shares OutstandingSO Yearly Shares OutstandingYearly Shares Outstanding 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 200M 400M 600M 800M 1B
SO Yearly Total Debt VS Total AssetsSO Yearly Total Debt VS Total AssetsYearly Total Debt VS Total Assets 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 50B 100B

2.2 Solvency

Based on the Altman-Z score of 0.94, we must say that SO is in the distress zone and has some risk of bankruptcy.
SO has a Altman-Z score of 0.94. This is comparable to the rest of the industry: SO outperforms 57.45% of its industry peers.
A Debt/Equity ratio of 1.85 is on the high side and indicates that SO has dependencies on debt financing.
Looking at the Debt to Equity ratio, with a value of 1.85, SO is doing worse than 85.11% of the companies in the same industry.
Industry RankSector Rank
Debt/Equity 1.85
Debt/FCF N/A
Altman-Z 0.94
ROIC/WACC0.7
WACC6.64%
SO Yearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCFSO Yearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCFYearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCF 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 0 20B 40B

2.3 Liquidity

SO has a Current Ratio of 0.75. This is a bad value and indicates that SO is not financially healthy enough and could expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
The Current ratio of SO (0.75) is worse than 65.96% of its industry peers.
A Quick Ratio of 0.56 indicates that SO may have some problems paying its short term obligations.
SO has a worse Quick ratio (0.56) than 70.21% of its industry peers.
Industry RankSector Rank
Current Ratio 0.75
Quick Ratio 0.56
SO Yearly Current Assets VS Current LiabilitesSO Yearly Current Assets VS Current LiabilitesYearly Current Assets VS Current Liabilites 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 5B 10B 15B

5

3. Growth

3.1 Past

The Earnings Per Share has been growing slightly by 1.19% over the past year.
SO shows a small growth in Earnings Per Share. Measured over the last years, the EPS has been growing by 5.48% yearly.
The Revenue has grown by 9.40% in the past year. This is quite good.
SO shows a small growth in Revenue. Measured over the last years, the Revenue has been growing by 4.53% yearly.
EPS 1Y (TTM)1.19%
EPS 3Y5.99%
EPS 5Y5.48%
EPS Q2Q%11.89%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)9.4%
Revenue growth 3Y4.96%
Revenue growth 5Y4.53%
Sales Q2Q%7.55%

3.2 Future

SO is expected to show a small growth in Earnings Per Share. In the coming years, the EPS will grow by 7.18% yearly.
SO is expected to show a small growth in Revenue. In the coming years, the Revenue will grow by 6.32% yearly.
EPS Next Y8.88%
EPS Next 2Y7.76%
EPS Next 3Y7.68%
EPS Next 5Y7.18%
Revenue Next Year8.18%
Revenue Next 2Y6.59%
Revenue Next 3Y6.04%
Revenue Next 5Y6.32%

3.3 Evolution

The EPS growth rate is accelerating: in the next years the growth will be better than in the last years.
The Revenue growth rate is accelerating: in the next years the growth will be better than in the last years.
SO Yearly Revenue VS EstimatesSO Yearly Revenue VS EstimatesYearly Revenue VS Estimates 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 10B 20B 30B
SO Yearly EPS VS EstimatesSO Yearly EPS VS EstimatesYearly EPS VS Estimates 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2 4 6

2

4. Valuation

4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio

With a Price/Earnings ratio of 20.52, SO is valued on the expensive side.
70.21% of the companies in the same industry are cheaper than SO, based on the Price/Earnings ratio.
SO's Price/Earnings ratio indicates a valuation a bit cheaper than the S&P500 average which is at 26.51.
SO is valuated rather expensively with a Price/Forward Earnings ratio of 18.50.
Based on the Price/Forward Earnings ratio, SO is valued a bit more expensive than 61.70% of the companies in the same industry.
The average S&P500 Price/Forward Earnings ratio is at 23.13. SO is valued slightly cheaper when compared to this.
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 20.52
Fwd PE 18.5
SO Price Earnings VS Forward Price EarningsSO Price Earnings VS Forward Price Earnings ChartPrice Earnings - Forward Price Earnings PE FPE 5 10 15 20 25

4.2 Price Multiples

Based on the Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio, SO is valued a bit more expensive than the industry average as 63.83% of the companies are valued more cheaply.
Industry RankSector Rank
P/FCF N/A
EV/EBITDA 12.49
SO Per share dataSO EPS, Sales, OCF, FCF, BookValue per sharePer Share Data Per Share 0 10 20 30

4.3 Compensation for Growth

The high PEG Ratio(NY), which compensates the Price/Earnings for growth, indicates SO does not grow enough to justify the current Price/Earnings ratio.
SO has a very decent profitability rating, which may justify a higher PE ratio.
PEG (NY)2.31
PEG (5Y)3.75
EPS Next 2Y7.76%
EPS Next 3Y7.68%

7

5. Dividend

5.1 Amount

SO has a Yearly Dividend Yield of 3.40%.
SO's Dividend Yield is a higher than the industry average which is at 3.02.
SO's Dividend Yield is rather good when compared to the S&P500 average which is at 2.00.
Industry RankSector Rank
Dividend Yield 3.4%

5.2 History

The dividend of SO has a limited annual growth rate of 1.87%.
SO has paid a dividend for at least 10 years, which is a reliable track record.
SO has not decreased their dividend for at least 10 years, which is a reliable track record.
Dividend Growth(5Y)1.87%
Div Incr Years23
Div Non Decr Years34
SO Yearly Dividends per shareSO Yearly Dividends per shareYearly Dividends per share 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

5.3 Sustainability

67.01% of the earnings are spent on dividend by SO. This is not a sustainable payout ratio.
SO's earnings are growing more than its dividend. This makes the dividend growth sustainable.
DP67.01%
EPS Next 2Y7.76%
EPS Next 3Y7.68%
SO Yearly Income VS Free CF VS DividendSO Yearly Income VS Free CF VS DividendYearly Income VS Free CF VS Dividend 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 0 2B -2B 4B
SO Dividend Payout.SO Dividend Payout, showing the Payout Ratio.SO Dividend Payout.PayoutRetained Earnings

SOUTHERN CO/THE

NYSE:SO (12/31/2025, 8:04:00 PM)

After market: 87.31 +0.11 (+0.13%)

87.2

-0.37 (-0.42%)

Chartmill FA Rating
GICS SectorUtilities
GICS IndustryGroupUtilities
GICS IndustryElectric Utilities
Earnings (Last)10-30 2025-10-30/bmo
Earnings (Next)02-18 2026-02-18/amc
Inst Owners74.14%
Inst Owner Change4.51%
Ins Owners0.09%
Ins Owner Change-1.53%
Market Cap96.02B
Revenue(TTM)28.91B
Net Income(TTM)4.46B
Analysts70.3
Price Target98.38 (12.82%)
Short Float %2.32%
Short Ratio4.2
Dividend
Industry RankSector Rank
Dividend Yield 3.4%
Yearly Dividend2.69
Dividend Growth(5Y)1.87%
DP67.01%
Div Incr Years23
Div Non Decr Years34
Ex-DateN/A
Surprises & Revisions
EPS beat(2)1
Avg EPS beat(2)1.4%
Min EPS beat(2)-0.3%
Max EPS beat(2)3.1%
EPS beat(4)1
Avg EPS beat(4)-0.4%
Min EPS beat(4)-4.33%
Max EPS beat(4)3.1%
EPS beat(8)5
Avg EPS beat(8)3.95%
EPS beat(12)9
Avg EPS beat(12)4.23%
EPS beat(16)11
Avg EPS beat(16)4.62%
Revenue beat(2)1
Avg Revenue beat(2)3.8%
Min Revenue beat(2)-0.17%
Max Revenue beat(2)7.77%
Revenue beat(4)3
Avg Revenue beat(4)4.4%
Min Revenue beat(4)-0.17%
Max Revenue beat(4)7.77%
Revenue beat(8)4
Avg Revenue beat(8)-1.23%
Revenue beat(12)6
Avg Revenue beat(12)-1.21%
Revenue beat(16)10
Avg Revenue beat(16)3.55%
PT rev (1m)-3.14%
PT rev (3m)-0.09%
EPS NQ rev (1m)-1.19%
EPS NQ rev (3m)-8.62%
EPS NY rev (1m)0.47%
EPS NY rev (3m)0.59%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)-1.91%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)-4.81%
Revenue NY rev (1m)0.51%
Revenue NY rev (3m)1.26%
Valuation
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 20.52
Fwd PE 18.5
P/S 3.32
P/FCF N/A
P/OCF 10.24
P/B 2.74
P/tB 3.25
EV/EBITDA 12.49
EPS(TTM)4.25
EY4.87%
EPS(NY)4.71
Fwd EY5.41%
FCF(TTM)-1.66
FCFYN/A
OCF(TTM)8.52
OCFY9.77%
SpS26.26
BVpS31.79
TBVpS26.82
PEG (NY)2.31
PEG (5Y)3.75
Graham Number55.13
Profitability
Industry RankSector Rank
ROA 2.91%
ROE 12.74%
ROCE 5.44%
ROIC 4.62%
ROICexc 4.74%
ROICexgc 4.94%
OM 25.68%
PM (TTM) 15.42%
GM 89.28%
FCFM N/A
ROA(3y)2.83%
ROA(5y)2.58%
ROE(3y)12.5%
ROE(5y)11.4%
ROIC(3y)4.14%
ROIC(5y)4.02%
ROICexc(3y)4.18%
ROICexc(5y)4.06%
ROICexgc(3y)4.38%
ROICexgc(5y)4.26%
ROCE(3y)4.95%
ROCE(5y)4.79%
ROICexgc growth 3Y6.47%
ROICexgc growth 5Y1.27%
ROICexc growth 3Y6.72%
ROICexc growth 5Y1.53%
OM growth 3Y5.39%
OM growth 5Y1.06%
PM growth 3Y16.73%
PM growth 5Y-5.73%
GM growth 3Y0.95%
GM growth 5Y0.39%
F-Score5
Asset Turnover0.19
Health
Industry RankSector Rank
Debt/Equity 1.85
Debt/FCF N/A
Debt/EBITDA 4.91
Cap/Depr 193.96%
Cap/Sales 38.74%
Interest Coverage 2.75
Cash Conversion 71.04%
Profit Quality N/A
Current Ratio 0.75
Quick Ratio 0.56
Altman-Z 0.94
F-Score5
WACC6.64%
ROIC/WACC0.7
Cap/Depr(3y)182.47%
Cap/Depr(5y)184.04%
Cap/Sales(3y)32.2%
Cap/Sales(5y)32.89%
Profit Quality(3y)N/A
Profit Quality(5y)N/A
High Growth Momentum
Growth
EPS 1Y (TTM)1.19%
EPS 3Y5.99%
EPS 5Y5.48%
EPS Q2Q%11.89%
EPS Next Y8.88%
EPS Next 2Y7.76%
EPS Next 3Y7.68%
EPS Next 5Y7.18%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)9.4%
Revenue growth 3Y4.96%
Revenue growth 5Y4.53%
Sales Q2Q%7.55%
Revenue Next Year8.18%
Revenue Next 2Y6.59%
Revenue Next 3Y6.04%
Revenue Next 5Y6.32%
EBIT growth 1Y6.57%
EBIT growth 3Y10.62%
EBIT growth 5Y5.63%
EBIT Next Year87.46%
EBIT Next 3Y30.06%
EBIT Next 5Y19.79%
FCF growth 1Y6.85%
FCF growth 3YN/A
FCF growth 5YN/A
OCF growth 1Y33.49%
OCF growth 3Y16.63%
OCF growth 5Y11.11%

SOUTHERN CO/THE / SO FAQ

What is the fundamental rating for SO stock?

ChartMill assigns a fundamental rating of 4 / 10 to SO.


What is the valuation status of SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) stock?

ChartMill assigns a valuation rating of 2 / 10 to SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO). This can be considered as Overvalued.


How profitable is SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) stock?

SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) has a profitability rating of 7 / 10.


Can you provide the financial health for SO stock?

The financial health rating of SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) is 1 / 10.


Can you provide the dividend sustainability for SO stock?

The dividend rating of SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) is 7 / 10 and the dividend payout ratio is 67.01%.