Southern (NYSE:SO) Azioni

Southern

Southern is one of the largest utilities in the US. The company serves 9 million customers with vertically integrated electric utilities in three states and natural gas distribution utilities in four states. It owns 50 gigawatts of rate-regulated generating capacity, primarily for serving customers in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Subsidiary Southern Power owns 13 gigawatts of natural gas generation and renewable energy across the U.S. and sells the electricity primarily under long-term contracts.

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Settore utility sotto pressione: segnali d&#39;allarme in aumento per alcuni titoli chiave. Analisti finanziari lanciano l&#39;allerta su 3 titoli.

Utility a rischio? 3 titoli ipercomprati da vendere prima che sia troppo tardi

Southern Co

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Southern's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) short percent of float has fallen 6.53% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 20.41 million shares sold short, which is 1.86% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 4.52 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Southern Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1744912818_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Southern has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Southern's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Southern's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 2.54%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Looking Into Southern's Recent Short Interest

Dividend stocks are gaining attention as investors crave certainty and downsize protection following market volatility triggered by President Donald Trump's tariff announcement on April 2. Dividend stocks have proven their resilience in the past. The S&amp;P 500 High Dividend Index outperformed the S&amp;P 500 in the dot-com bubble and COVID-19 market crash, according to an <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/documents/education/education-the-importance-of-dividends.pdf">S&amp;P Global</a> research report.
Earlier this month, a dividend investor <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dividends/comments/1jqucki/account_update_6000month/">shared</a> his portfolio and income details on r/Dividends — a Reddit discussion board with over 700,000 followers. The portfolio screenshots shared by the investor on the social platform showed his monthly dividend income stood at $6,027.
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The investor said he had been waiting to buy stocks on a pullback, and his chance finally came following the recent market selloff.
"What a bloody day today but it did hit the price target I have been waiting for. Now that I reached $6,000, now I am going to use this money to start buying more VOO and discounted tech stocks like Google, Amazon Microsoft, Broadcom, etc."
The investor said dividend investing is not a "get rich quick" scheme and it took him 20 years to reach this income milestone. He urged investors to "keep grinding until we don't have to."
"As long as you are consistent with your investment, you will also get there," he added.
Trending: It&#8217;s no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $250 million in art — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/masterworks">this alternative asset has outpaced the S&amp;P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. Here&#8217;s how everyday investors are getting started.</a>
The investor's portfolio had a total worth of about $1.1 million. Let's take a look at some of his biggest holdings.
Enterprise Products Partners
Number of Shares: 5,357
Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EPD#NYSE">EPD</a>) was the biggest holding of the investor, accounting for about 16% of his total portfolio. He had 5,357 shares of the energy company, according to the portfolio screenshots he shared on Reddit. The stock has a dividend yield of over 7%.
JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF&nbsp;
Number of Shares: 2,648
The Redditor earning $6,000 a month in dividends had a $146,000 stake in JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JEPI#NYSE">JEPI</a>). The fund invests in some of the most notable large-cap U.S. stocks and generates income by selling call options.&nbsp; Visa (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>), Mastercard (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>), Southern Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) and Progressive Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGR#NYSE">PGR</a>) are among the fund's top holdings.
Ares Capital
Number of Shares: 2,501
Ares Capital (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARCC#NASDAQ">ARCC</a>) a business development company, was one of the top stocks in the investor&#8217;s portfolio. The stock has a dividend yield of over 9%.
Blackstone Secured Lending
Number of Shares: 2,501
Blackstone Secured Lending (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BXSL#NYSE">BXSL</a>) is a business development company mainly investing in private U.S. companies&#8217; first-lien senior secured debt. The company has a dividend yield of about 11%. The stock is down 14% so far this year.
See Also: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/rad-intel">invest pre-IPO from $0.60 per share now</a>.
Realty Income
Number of Shares: 850
Realty Income (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/O#NYSE">O</a>) is one of the most popular monthly dividend stocks among Redditors. The REIT has a dividend yield of 5.8%. Last month, Realty Income raised its dividend by 0.2%.&nbsp;
Medical Properties
Number of Shares: 6,769
Medical Properties (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MPW#NYSE">MPW</a>) is an Alabama-based REIT focused on hospital facilities. It has a dividend yield of about 6%. The investor had 6,769 shares of the company in his portfolio. The stock is up 32% over the past year.
Enbridge
Number of Shares: 761
Canadian energy infrastructure company Enbridge Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENB#NYSE">ENB</a>) has a dividend yield of 6.2%. The company has consistently <a href="https://www.enbridge.com/media-center/news/details?id=123836&amp;lang=en">raised</a> its dividends for about three decades now.
JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF
Number of Shares: 662
The investor had 662 JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JEPQ#NASDAQ">JEPQ</a>) shares in his portfolio. JEPQ is a high-yield covered call ETF that distributes monthly dividend income. The ETF invests in Nasdaq companies and generates extra income by selling call options. It yields about 10%.
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ARCC

BXSL

JEPI

JEPQ

Dividend Investor Making $6,000/Month Shares Portfolio; Bought More on Recent 'Bloody Day' Selloff — 'Keep Grinding Until We Don't Have To'

Looking into the current session, Southern Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) shares are trading at $87.05, after a 0.19% drop. Over the past month, the stock fell by 3.39%, but over the past year, it actually went up by 24.77%. With questionable short-term performance like this, and great long-term performance, long-term shareholders might want to start looking into the company's price-to-earnings ratio. 

<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1744138835_0.png" alt="Past Year Chart" />

<h3>A Look at Southern P/E Relative to Its Competitors</h3>
The P/E ratio measures the current share price to the company's EPS. It is used by long-term investors to analyze the company's current performance against it's past earnings, historical data and aggregate market data for the industry or the indices, such as S&amp;P 500. A higher P/E indicates that investors expect the company to perform better in the future, and the stock is probably overvalued, but not necessarily. It also could indicate that investors are willing to pay a higher share price currently, because they expect the company to perform better in the upcoming quarters. This leads investors to also remain optimistic about rising dividends in the future. 
Southern has a better P/E ratio of 21.86 than the aggregate P/E ratio of 17.63 of the Electric Utilities industry. Ideally, one might believe that Southern Inc. might perform better in the future than it's industry group, but it's probable that the stock is overvalued. 

<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1744138835_1.png" alt="Guage" />

In conclusion, the price-to-earnings ratio is a useful metric for analyzing a company's market performance, but it has its limitations. While a lower P/E can indicate that a company is undervalued, it can also suggest that shareholders do not expect future growth. Additionally, the P/E ratio should not be used in isolation, as other factors such as industry trends and business cycles can also impact a company's stock price. Therefore, investors should use the P/E ratio in conjunction with other financial metrics and qualitative analysis to make informed investment decisions.

Intraday Update

Price Over Earnings Overview: Southern

JPMorgan analyst Jeremy Tonet sees utility companies relatively well-positioned amid concerns that recent tariff hikes could trigger <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/recession">a global recession</a>.
What Happened: JPMorgan projects a -0.3%<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/macro-economic-events" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> U.S. GDP contraction in 2025</a>.
Maia G. Crook, also a JPMorgan analyst, says the probability of a U.S. recession has surged to 60%. That&#8217;s up from 40% last month, due to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/04/44645681/jpmorgan-raises-recession-risk-to-60-as-largest-us-tax-hike-in-60-years-hits-global-economy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the latest round of tariff hikes</a>.
The analysts&#8217; view on utilities reflects the sector&#8217;s regulated return profile and cost-of-service structure, which insulate them from direct tariff-related EPS impacts.
Moreover, potential rate cuts may further boost their income appeal.
Meanwhile, Tonet says that prolonged tariff uncertainty could harm sentiment and the broader economy, creating affordability challenges that may impact utilities' capex plans and returns, especially in regions with tight energy supply.
Tonet downgraded Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/D#NYSE">D</a>) from Neutral to Underweight and cut the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/d/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">price forecast from $59 to $52</a>.
The company&#8217;s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project faces increased risks with $2.5 billion in remaining non-US spending and potential steel/EU/Mexico tariff impacts, which could add $500 million-$625 million in costs.
Combined with still-to-be-finalized PJM network upgrades (+$600 million), these factors pose external challenges, adds the analyst.
Moreover, the analyst writes that administration support for offshore wind seems to be uncertain, adding to concerns.
On the other hand, Tonet raised the rating for WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WEC#NYSE">WEC</a>) from Underweight to Neutral and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/wec/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">price forecast from $106 to $108</a>.
Tonet says that WEC stands out due to its lack of rate case exposure and favorable regulatory environment in Wisconsin.
The company is well-positioned as a defensive stock, benefiting from regulatory stability and potential upside from projects like MSFT/Cloverleaf data centers, adds the analyst.
Also, the analyst upgraded Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) from Underweight to Neutral while <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/so/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">maintaining the price forecast at $94</a>.
The analyst writes that SO stands out within utility coverage for its strong regulatory environment, solid balance sheet, large scale, and economic resilience in its service area.
However, ongoing regulatory uncertainty tied to the Georgia Power rate case limits immediate upside, adds the analyst.
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Image: Shutterstock

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Recession Risk Is High, But Analysts Say This Sector Is Shielded From Tariff Impact

U.S. Rep.&nbsp;Marjorie Taylor Greene&nbsp;(R-Ga.) has been buying the sharp pullback in markets spurred by President Donald Trump&#8217;s sweeping reciprocal <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44678625/did-trump-team-manipulate-tariff-formula-to-achieve-higher-rates-experts-weigh-in-as-they-think-whole-thing-was-rigged">tariff announcement last week</a>. 
What To Know: Greene on Tuesday <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/ptr-pdfs/2025/20029089.pdf">disclosed</a> the purchase of several stocks that faced steep drawdowns last week, including tech giants Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>). The purchases were made on April 3 and April 4, according to the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/gov-trades/members/marjorie-taylor-greene" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Benzinga Government Trades tracker.</a>
The latest disclosure from Greene continues a trend of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44255172/marjorie-taylor-greene-buys-more-bitcoin-etf-shares-ahead-of-trumps-strategic-reserve-executive-order">increased trading activity</a> in recent years after she made limited moves in 2022 and 2023. Greene has developed a strong relationship with Trump and Tesla&#8217;s Elon Musk, and has a role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
After disclosing the purchase of shares of a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) ETF last month, Greene appears to be ramping up bets on some of the names that sold off on tariff-related concerns.
Here&#8217;s a look at the stocks Greene purchased last week:
<ul>
<li>Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>FedEx Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDX#NYSE">FDX</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>IMPINJ Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PI#NASDAQ">PI</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Lululemon Athletica Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LULU#NASDAQ">LULU</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Nike Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NKE#NYSE">NKE</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Norfolk Southern Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NSC#NYSE">NSC</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Old Dominion Freight Line Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ODFL#NASDAQ">ODFL</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>QUALCOMM Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>RH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RH#NYSE">RH</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Southern Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>United Parcel Service Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPS#NYSE">UPS</a>)</li>
</ul>
All trades reported in the filing have a reported value ranging from $1,000 to $15,000.
It&#8217;s worth noting that broader markets are rebounding on Monday on hopes the Trump administration will be able to ink trade deals to lower tariffs.
Read Next:
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Photo: <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Phil+Mistry">Phil Mistry</a>/Shutterstock.

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$BTC

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AMZN

DELL

LRCX

LULU

ODFL

QCOM

Marjorie Taylor Greene Buys The Dip: Congresswoman Purchases Shares Of Apple, Amazon, Nike And More Following Tariff-Related Sell-Off

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul>
<li>Jefferies analyst David Windley upgraded the rating for Centene Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CNC#NYSE">CNC</a>) from Underperform to Hold and raised the price target from $53 to $64. Centene shares closed at $61.35 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CNC/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>JP Morgan analyst Jeremy Tonet upgraded The Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) from Underweight to Neutral and announced a $94 price target. Southern shares closed at $87.22 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SO/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Barclays analyst Terry Ma upgraded the rating for Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKT#NYSE">RKT</a>) from Underweight to Equal-Weight and increased the price target from $10 to $14. Rocket Companies shares closed at $14.66 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/RKT/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Citigroup analyst Ariel Rosa upgraded the rating for Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNP#NYSE">UNP</a>) from Neutral to Buy but lowered the price target from $260 to $244. Union Pacific shares closed at $209.97 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/UNP/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Wells Fargo analyst Ike Boruchow upgraded Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) from Equal-Weight to Overweight and raised the price target from $140 to $150. Ross Stores shares closed at $127.88 on Monday.  <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ROST/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
</ul>
Considering buying CNC stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="604" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/08084206/image-36-1024x604.png" alt="" class="wp-image-861867" style="width:578px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/08084206/image-36-1024x604.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/08084206/image-36-300x177.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/08084206/image-36-768x453.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/08084206/image-36.png 1072w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
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Photo via Shutterstock

Analyst Ratings

ROST

This Centene Analyst Is No Longer Bearish; Here Are Top 5 Upgrades For Tuesday

JP Morgan analyst Jeremy Tonet upgrades Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) from Underweight to Neutral and announces $94 price target.

JP Morgan Upgrades Southern to Neutral, Announces $94 Price Target

The Georgia Power Foundation announced today that it has reached a milestone, awarding over $2.25 million through 65 grants to support workforce development needs through educational programs across the state since 2020. The Georgia Power Foundation's Workforce for Georgia signature grant program, administered by The Georgia Foundation for Public Education, provides support to school districts that offer Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) through traditional high school programs or through College and Career Academies (CCA). The funds are used to begin or improve programs that help train students to meet the workforce needs of industries and businesses in the local and regional communities. These programs have reached over 10,000 students across Georgia since the program's inception.

The Georgia Power Foundation Reaches Milestone As It Awards Over $2.25M Through 65 Grants To Support Workforce Development Needs Through Educational Programs Across the State Since 2020.

UBS analyst Daniel Ford maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $94 to $97.

UBS Maintains Neutral on Southern, Raises Price Target to $97

Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Byrd maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $88 to $91.

Morgan Stanley Maintains Equal-Weight on Southern, Raises Price Target to $91

Southern's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) short percent of float has risen 11.76% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 20.81 million shares sold short, which is 1.9% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 3.7 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Southern Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1742229017_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Southern has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Southern's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Southern's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 2.26%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

What's Driving the Market Sentiment Around Southern?

Insider Trades

The Southern Co Form 4 Filing Shows CEO Christopher C Womack Sold 24,407 Shares Of Stock At A Price Of $90.13/Share

Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) shares are trading lower on Thursday after the company reported&nbsp;fourth-quarter&nbsp;operating revenue&nbsp;growth of&nbsp;4.9% year over year to&nbsp;$6.34 billion,&nbsp;beating&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/n43844843/southern-company-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">the consensus of&nbsp;$5.88 billion</a>.&nbsp;
Operating revenues by segment: Alabama Power&nbsp;$1.751 billion&nbsp;(+7.4% Y/Y), Georgia Power&nbsp;$2.586 billion&nbsp;(+11.8%&nbsp;Y/Y), Mississippi Power&nbsp;$345 million&nbsp;(+2.4% Y/Y), Southern Power&nbsp;$417 million&nbsp;(-17.1% Y/Y) and Southern&nbsp;Company Gas&nbsp;$1.236 billion&nbsp;(-3.8% Y/Y).
Kilowatt-Hour Sales rose by&nbsp;2.7%, with Retail sales up&nbsp;2.8% and Wholesale sales up&nbsp;2.5% Y/Y.
In particular,&nbsp;kilowatt-Hour&nbsp;retail sales benefitted from growth in commercial (+4.4% Y/Y), Industrial (+2.0% Y/Y), and residential (+1.9% Y/Y) businesses.&nbsp;
Total Regulated&nbsp;Utility Customers increased&nbsp;0.8%, with Total Traditional Electric&nbsp;rising 1.4% and Southern Company Gas&nbsp;increasing +0.3% Y/Y.&nbsp;
Operating expenses rose to $5.28 billion from $4.84 billion in the quarter. Adjusted EPS of 50 cents <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">missed the consensus of 51 cents.</a>
For the full year 2024, adjusted EPS rose to $4.05 from $3.65&nbsp;in 2023, mainly driven by increased utility revenues, partially negated by a rise in non-fuel operations and maintenance expenses, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, and income taxes.
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) and&nbsp;Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FUTY#NYSE">FUTY</a>).
Price Action: SO shares are down 0.77% at $85.82 at the last check Thursday.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43842954/us-stocks-likely-to-open-lower-after-gaining-for-2-days-walmart-in-focus-as-traders-await-retail-giants-earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Stocks Likely To Open Lower After Gaining For 2 Days: Walmart In Focus As Traders Await Retail Giant&#8217;s Earnings</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock.

Earnings

Movers

FUTY

Southern Company Q4: Utility Growth Boosts Revenue, But Rising Costs Weigh on Profit

Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $0.51 by 1.96 percent. This is a 21.88 percent decrease over earnings of $0.64 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $6.30 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $5.88 billion by 7.14 percent. This is a 4.22 percent increase over sales of $6.04 billion the same period last year.

Earnings Beats

Earnings Misses

Southern Q4 2024 Adj EPS $0.50 Misses $0.51 Estimate, Sales $6.30B Beat $5.88B Estimate

U.S. stock futures fell on Thursday after another session of scaling fresh records on Wednesday. Futures of all four benchmark indices declined in the premarket.
Wednesday's Federal Reserve minutes showed officials favored pausing rate cuts, citing potential inflation from Trump&#8217;s tariffs and deportations. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced an 8% reduction in military spending over the next five years, which led to the fall in Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) stock.
The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.52%, while the two-year yield was at 4.26%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 97.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting. 
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>-0.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.22%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell in premarket on Thursday. SPY declined 0.15% to $612.03, and QQQ was down 0.16% to $538.64, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From The Last Session
Only Financials and Materials declined among all the 11 sectors, whereas Health Care, Consumer Staples, Energy, Utilities, and Real Estate sectors led gains.
January&#8217;s Fed minutes revealed officials felt they could pause rate adjustments, needing more inflation progress and time to assess the economy.
Last week saw positive momentum across equity markets. The S&amp;P 500 was approximately up 1.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.6% last week.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>0.075%</td>
<td>20,056.25 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>0.24%</td>
<td>6,144.15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>0.16%</td>
<td>44,627.59</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.34%</td>
<td>2,282.46</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts
Highlighting the back-to-back all-time highs scaled by the S&amp;P 5000, Kevin Gordon, director, and senior investment strategist at Schwab said, &#8220;The last two all-time highs for the S&amp;P 500 have happened without major help from the Magnificent Seven."
&#8220;That group&#8217;s last all-time high was in mid-December.&#8221;
Talking about the upcoming Walmart Inc. earnings, Alex Coffey, senior trading and derivatives strategist at Schwab said, &#8220;Walmart&#8217;s strong grocery and consumer staples mix allows consumers to trade down."
&#8220;Tariffs could hit margins, but groceries and staples could give Walmart some resiliency against competitors,&#8221; he added.
Charlie Bilello, the chief market strategist at Creative Planning highlighted that U.S. stocks have outperformed international stocks for over 16 years but this year, the international stocks were up 7.2% as compared to a 4.0% gain for the S&amp;P 500.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">US stocks have outperformed International stocks for over 16 years, by far the longest run of outperformance in history. So far this year, we&#39;re seeing the opposite, with International stocks up 7.2% vs. a 4.0% gain for the S&amp;P 500. Video: <a href="https://t.co/gl3vzKh3W0">https://t.co/gl3vzKh3W0</a> <a href="https://t.co/zAvUsKKnKW">pic.twitter.com/zAvUsKKnKW</a>
&mdash; Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/1891895455732334902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The fourth quarter corporate earnings season shows the mega-cap tech companies driving the AI buildout are largely sticking with their AI capex, even after the DeepSeek news, BlackRock said in their weekly note.
"In the U.S., where AI is shaping up to be a key driver of new power demand, estimates of the scale of the nation's total power needs are huge and growing," it added.
Extreme heat driving air conditioning use, electrification of buildings and vehicles, and AI buildout could drive power demands, according to analysts at BlackRock.
"We see soaring power demand driving bouts of market volatility. We get active to find investment opportunities – like in utilities, grids and electrical equipment supply chains – and value selectivity as performance dispersion grows," the note stated.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures </a>
Upcoming Economic Data
Here&#8217;s what investors will keep On Thursday:
<ul>
<li>Initial jobless claims till Feb. 15 will be announced and the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey for Feb will be out by 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will be speaking at 09:35 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>January&#8217;s leading economic indicators will be released at 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Vice Chairman for Supervision Michael Barr will speak again at 2:30 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fed Governor Adriana Kugler will be speaking at 5:00 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Walmart Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) declined 0.49% in premarket on Thursday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 64 cents per share on revenue of $180.25 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Block Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) fell 0.024% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 86 cents per share on revenue of $6.25 billion. before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Southern Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) was up 0.012% ahead of its earnings, which will be released during market hours. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 51 cents per share on revenue of $5.9 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) fell 0.72% as Wall Street expects it to report revenue of $1.4 billion after the closing bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Xos Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOS#NASDAQ">XOS</a>) jumped 27.08% after announcing that its Xos Hub, a mobile EV charger, is now on the GSA Schedule, simplifying federal agency procurement via GSA Advantage.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Microvision Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MVIS#NASDAQ">MVIS</a>) rallied 16.57% before partner Luxoft&#8217;s CES 2025 product reveal. Luxoft is a DXC Technology Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXC#NYSE">DXC</a>) subsidiary.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.26% to hover around $72.29 per barrel.
The gold spot index was up by 0.63% to $2,951.94 per ounce after hitting a fresh record of $2,954.89. The Dollar Index was down 0.27% at 106.88 level.
Asian markets ended lower on Thursday. All indices including, China's CSI 300, South Korea's Kospi, Australia's ASX 200, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell. European markets were mixed in trade.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839198/reduce-deficits-and-debt-full-stop-says-this-economist-as-trump-mulls-doge-dividend-by-giving-away-20-of-its-savings-to-public">&#8216;Reduce Deficits And Debt… Full Stop,&#8217; Says Craig Shapiro As Trump Mulls &#8216;DOGE Dividend&#8217; By Giving Away 20% Of Its Savings To Public</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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