The Southern Company (SO) fair value analysis
S&P 500 · Updated 2026-10-19
SO price how computed
Forward Fair Value verdict
Fairly valuedSO is trading at within about 10% of estimated fair value.
Based on TickrTrends' weekly Forward Fair Value model.
- Last price
- $86.17
- Sector
- Utilities
- 12-month range
- $82.35–$99.11
- Market cap
- $99.1B
- From 52-week high
- -13.1%
- Shares outstanding
- 1.15B
- Rank in Utilities by discount to fair value
- #19 of 36
Last price is our 2026-10-19 weekly price; the chart runs through 2026-10-16.
The Southern Company is an electric utility holding company that generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to millions of customers across the southeastern United States. The company operates through subsidiaries including Georgia Power, Mississippi Power, and Alabama Power, serving customers primarily in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and other regions in the Southeast.
SO currently ranks #19 of 36 Utilities stocks by discount to fair value. It has screened as Fairly valued for 4 consecutive weekly runs.
Fundamentals (4 quarters) how computed
- Market cap
- $99.1B
- P/E (trailing)
- 19x
- Revenue (TTM)
- $30.2B
- Net margin
- 15.4%
- EPS (TTM)
- $4.60
- Gross margin
- 51.3%
- Debt / equity
- 1.95
- Revenue growth (3-yr avg)
- 0.0%
- Shares outstanding
- 1.15B
Derived indicators how computed
- Quality grade
- F
- Margin trend
- Contracting
- 52-week position
- The bottom quarter of its range
Technicals how computed
- RSI (14-day)
- 70 · neutral
- 50-day average
- $87.81
- 200-day average
- $92.19
- Moving-average state
- 50-day below 200-day (death cross state); price below both averages
Dividends how computed
- Paid, last 12 months
- $3.00 per share (4 payments)
- Yield on last price
- 3.48%
- Consecutive years of increases
- 23
- Last ex-dividend date
- 2026-08-17
- Last payment date
- 2026-09-08
Earnings how computed
- Next earnings report
- 2026-11-05 (pre-market)
- Last 8 quarters vs consensus
- 6 beat, 2 missed
- Quarter by quarter
- 2026-06 ▲ beat (+11.9%)
2026-03 ▲ beat (+9.1%)
2025-12 ▼ miss (-3.5%)
2025-09 ▲ beat (+6.0%)
2025-06 ▲ beat (+4.5%)
2025-03 ▲ beat (+3.4%)
2024-12 ▼ miss (-5.7%)
2024-09 ▲ beat (+6.7%)
Analyst consensus how computed
This is not TickrTrends' verdict.
- Analyst ratings
- 7 buy · 14 hold · 2 sell (23 analysts)
- Consensus lean
- Hold-leaning
- Consensus price target
- $96.3
- Target vs last price
- +11.8%
What our data shows for SO
- Our model validated 17 trailing price-to-earnings windows for SO, built from quarterly earnings records.
- Shares are trading in the lower third of their 12-month price range of $82.35–$99.11.
- The 14-day relative strength index sits at a neutral 70.
The exact numbers are one step away
- The precise Forward Fair Value dollar figure for SO
- Exact discount / premium to today's price
- The normalized historical P/E behind the estimate, and how many quarters support it
- Forward EPS input and fiscal-year basis
- Screeners and rankings across the full S&P 500 and Nasdaq universes
Forward Fair Value applies a conservatively normalized historical price-to-earnings multiple to the consensus earnings estimate for the next full fiscal year; how TickrTrends computes it.
Recent SO news
TickrTrends' derived news-sentiment signal for SO is currently leaning positive, computed from recent coverage.
- Southern Company: Long-Term Growth Meets Near-Term Cash Flow Pressure (NYSE:SO) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-10-14)
TickrTrends take: Southern Company faces a tension between its longer-term growth prospects and immediate cash flow constraints, which is relevant context for assessing whether its current fairly valued status holds if near-term pressures intensify. Investors monitoring the utilities sector should observe how the company manages this balance, particularly whether cash generation improves or if growth investments require additional capital raises that could affect shareholder value. The fairly valued assessment assumes the company can navigate these competing demands without material deterioration in financial flexibility. - ETFs Are Buying The Southern Company (SO) on Oct. 1 (gurufocus.com, 2026-10-05)
TickrTrends take: Southern Company trades at a valuation marked as undervalued by TickrTrends metrics, which may provide context for understanding ETF buying activity in the stock. When exchange-traded funds accumulate shares of a utilities sector company trading below its assessed fair value, it can signal institutional recognition of potential price discrepancy. Investors monitoring the valuation gap should track whether this ETF accumulation patterns continues alongside any changes to the company's fundamental metrics or valuation multiples. - 30 ETFs Add to Southern Co. (SO) Holdings on Sept. 30 (gurufocus.com, 2026-10-02)
TickrTrends take: Southern Company's inclusion in 30 additional ETF portfolios on September 30 represents continued institutional demand for the utility, which aligns with its Fairly valued designation under TickrTrends analysis. For valuation-focused investors, this level of ETF inflow activity is worth monitoring to determine whether it reflects genuine confidence in SO's fundamentals or signals potential price momentum that could shift the stock away from fair value. Given SO's position in the Utilities sector, where defensive characteristics often attract passive fund flows, tracking whether similar ETF activity persists will help clarify whether the fair valuation assessment remains durable.
More SO news
- Southern Company: ROIC, Electricity Pricing, EV/EBITDA All Agree; Buy (NYSE:SO) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-09-11)
What people are saying
Follow the SO conversation: Stocktwits · Reddit · X
TickrTrends weekly updates
- 2026-10-19 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-12 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-11 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-10 — SO's relative strength index moved from oversold territory into neutral zone this week, reflecting reduced downward momentum in the utilities sector stock. The current valuation assessment remains undervalued based on TickrTrends' derived indicators.
- 2026-10-06 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-28 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-21 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-17 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
Frequently asked questions
Is SO stock undervalued?
Based on TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value model (updated 2026-10-19), SO is trading at within about 10% of estimated fair value and screens as fairly valued. The exact fair value and discount are available to subscribers.
What is SO's TickrTrends verdict?
SO's current verdict is Fairly valued, refreshed with every weekly Forward Fair Value run.
How does SO compare to other Utilities stocks?
SO ranks #19 of 36 Utilities stocks in TickrTrends' coverage by discount to fair value.
Is SO overbought or oversold?
SO's 14-day RSI is in neutral territory - neither overbought nor oversold.
Does SO pay a dividend?
Yes. SO paid $3.00 per share over the last twelve months (4 payments), a 3.48% yield on TickrTrends' last price, and has raised the annual total for 23 consecutive years. The last ex-dividend date was 2026-08-17.
When does SO report earnings next?
SO's next earnings report is scheduled for 2026-11-05 (pre-market), per the published earnings calendar.
Does SO usually beat earnings estimates?
Over its last 8 reported quarters SO beat the consensus estimate 6 times and missed 2 times, by TickrTrends' comparison of reported and estimated EPS.
What do analysts say about SO?
Of 23 analysts covering SO, 7 rate it a buy, 14 a hold and 2 a sell - hold-leaning, with a consensus price target of $96.3 (+11.8% versus TickrTrends' last price). This is the analyst consensus, not TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value verdict.