SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) Fundamental Analysis & Valuation
NYSE:SO • US8425871071
Current stock price
94.51 USD
-0.39 (-0.41%)
At close:
94.5206 USD
+0.01 (+0.01%)
After Hours:
This SO fundamental analysis includes valuation metrics, fair value assessment, financial health analysis, profitability trends, growth metrics and dividend sustainability analysis.
1. SO Profitability Analysis
1.1 Basic Checks
- In the past year SO was profitable.
- In the past year SO had a positive cash flow from operations.
- SO had positive earnings in each of the past 5 years.
- SO had a positive operating cash flow in each of the past 5 years.
1.2 Ratios
- With a Return On Assets value of 2.79%, SO perfoms like the industry average, outperforming 55.32% of the companies in the same industry.
- Looking at the Return On Equity, with a value of 12.05%, SO is in the better half of the industry, outperforming 72.34% of the companies in the same industry.
- SO has a better Return On Invested Capital (4.30%) than 61.70% of its industry peers.
- The Average Return On Invested Capital over the past 3 years for SO is in line with the industry average of 4.52%.
- The 3 year average ROIC (4.15%) for SO is below the current ROIC(4.30%), indicating increased profibility in the last year.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | 2.79% | ||
| ROE | 12.05% | ||
| ROIC | 4.3% |
ROA(3y)2.89%
ROA(5y)2.63%
ROE(3y)12.65%
ROE(5y)11.61%
ROIC(3y)4.15%
ROIC(5y)4%
1.3 Margins
- SO has a Profit Margin of 14.69%. This is in the better half of the industry: SO outperforms 61.70% of its industry peers.
- In the last couple of years the Profit Margin of SO has remained more or less at the same level.
- With a decent Operating Margin value of 24.65%, SO is doing good in the industry, outperforming 70.21% of the companies in the same industry.
- In the last couple of years the Operating Margin of SO has remained more or less at the same level.
- Looking at the Gross Margin, with a value of 88.95%, SO belongs to the top of the industry, outperforming 80.85% of the companies in the same industry.
- In the last couple of years the Gross Margin of SO has remained more or less at the same level.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| OM | 24.65% | ||
| PM (TTM) | 14.69% | ||
| GM | 88.95% |
OM growth 3Y7.89%
OM growth 5Y-0.48%
PM growth 3Y6.87%
PM growth 5Y-0.82%
GM growth 3Y2.36%
GM growth 5Y-0.17%
2. SO Health Analysis
2.1 Basic Checks
- The Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is below the Cost of Capital (WACC), so SO is destroying value.
- SO has about the same amout of shares outstanding than it did 1 year ago.
- SO has about the same amout of shares outstanding than it did 5 years ago.
- Compared to 1 year ago, SO has a worse debt to assets ratio.
2.2 Solvency
- SO has an Altman-Z score of 0.97. This is a bad value and indicates that SO is not financially healthy and even has some risk of bankruptcy.
- SO has a Altman-Z score (0.97) which is in line with its industry peers.
- SO has a Debt/Equity ratio of 1.84. This is a high value indicating a heavy dependency on external financing.
- With a Debt to Equity ratio value of 1.84, SO is not doing good in the industry: 82.98% of the companies in the same industry are doing better.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 1.84 | ||
| Debt/FCF | N/A | ||
| Altman-Z | 0.97 |
ROIC/WACC0.64
WACC6.68%
2.3 Liquidity
- SO has a Current Ratio of 0.65. This is a bad value and indicates that SO is not financially healthy enough and could expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
- SO's Current ratio of 0.65 is on the low side compared to the rest of the industry. SO is outperformed by 72.34% of its industry peers.
- A Quick Ratio of 0.45 indicates that SO may have some problems paying its short term obligations.
- Looking at the Quick ratio, with a value of 0.45, SO is doing worse than 76.60% of the companies in the same industry.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.65 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.45 |
3. SO Growth Analysis
3.1 Past
- SO shows a small growth in Earnings Per Share. In the last year, the EPS has grown by 5.91%.
- SO shows a small growth in Earnings Per Share. Measured over the last years, the EPS has been growing by 5.76% yearly.
- Looking at the last year, SO shows a quite strong growth in Revenue. The Revenue has grown by 10.58% in the last year.
- Measured over the past years, SO shows a small growth in Revenue. The Revenue has been growing by 7.72% on average per year.
EPS 1Y (TTM)5.91%
EPS 3Y6%
EPS 5Y5.76%
EPS Q2Q%10%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)10.58%
Revenue growth 3Y0.31%
Revenue growth 5Y7.72%
Sales Q2Q%10.09%
3.2 Future
- The Earnings Per Share is expected to grow by 8.00% on average over the next years. This is quite good.
- SO is expected to show a small growth in Revenue. In the coming years, the Revenue will grow by 6.80% yearly.
EPS Next Y9.42%
EPS Next 2Y8.55%
EPS Next 3Y8.64%
EPS Next 5Y8%
Revenue Next Year8.18%
Revenue Next 2Y6.87%
Revenue Next 3Y6.63%
Revenue Next 5Y6.8%
3.3 Evolution
- When comparing the EPS growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is accelerating.
- The Revenue growth rate is stable: in the next years the growth will be about the same than in the last years.
4. SO Valuation Analysis
4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio
- The Price/Earnings ratio is 21.98, which indicates a rather expensive current valuation of SO.
- SO's Price/Earnings ratio is a bit more expensive when compared to the industry. SO is more expensive than 65.96% of the companies in the same industry.
- SO's Price/Earnings ratio indicates a valuation a bit cheaper than the S&P500 average which is at 27.87.
- The Price/Forward Earnings ratio is 20.09, which indicates a rather expensive current valuation of SO.
- Compared to the rest of the industry, the Price/Forward Earnings ratio of SO indicates a slightly more expensive valuation: SO is more expensive than 61.70% of the companies listed in the same industry.
- The average S&P500 Price/Forward Earnings ratio is at 38.51. SO is valued slightly cheaper when compared to this.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 21.98 | ||
| Fwd PE | 20.09 |
4.2 Price Multiples
- The rest of the industry has a similar Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio as SO.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| P/FCF | N/A | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 13.28 |
4.3 Compensation for Growth
- The high PEG Ratio(NY), which compensates the Price/Earnings for growth, indicates an expensive valuation of the company.
- The decent profitability rating of SO may justify a higher PE ratio.
PEG (NY)2.33
PEG (5Y)3.82
EPS Next 2Y8.55%
EPS Next 3Y8.64%
5. SO Dividend Analysis
5.1 Amount
- SO has a Yearly Dividend Yield of 3.12%. Purely for dividend investing, there may be better candidates out there.
- SO's Dividend Yield is a higher than the industry average which is at 2.79.
- SO's Dividend Yield is rather good when compared to the S&P500 average which is at 1.81.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 3.12% |
5.2 History
- The dividend of SO has a limited annual growth rate of 2.35%.
- SO has paid a dividend for at least 10 years, which is a reliable track record.
- SO has not decreased its dividend for at least 10 years, so it has a reliable track record of non decreasing dividend.
Dividend Growth(5Y)2.35%
Div Incr Years24
Div Non Decr Years34
5.3 Sustainability
- 69.45% 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.
DP69.45%
EPS Next 2Y8.55%
EPS Next 3Y8.64%
SO Fundamentals: All Metrics, Ratios and Statistics
94.51
-0.39 (-0.41%)
Chartmill FA Rating
GICS SectorUtilities
GICS IndustryGroupUtilities
GICS IndustryElectric Utilities
Earnings (Last)02-19 2026-02-19/bmo
Earnings (Next)04-30 2026-04-30/bmo
Inst Owners72.64%
Inst Owner Change-0.03%
Ins Owners0.12%
Ins Owner Change8.36%
Market Cap106.54B
Revenue(TTM)29.55B
Net Income(TTM)4.34B
Analysts71.25
Price Target101.35 (7.24%)
Short Float %2.41%
Short Ratio4.4
Dividend
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 3.12% |
Yearly Dividend2.74
Dividend Growth(5Y)2.35%
DP69.45%
Div Incr Years24
Div Non Decr Years34
Ex-Date02-17 2026-02-17 (0.74)
Surprises & Revisions
EPS beat(2)1
Avg EPS beat(2)-1.9%
Min EPS beat(2)-6.91%
Max EPS beat(2)3.1%
EPS beat(4)1
Avg EPS beat(4)-1.04%
Min EPS beat(4)-6.91%
Max EPS beat(4)3.1%
EPS beat(8)4
Avg EPS beat(8)2.67%
EPS beat(12)8
Avg EPS beat(12)3.33%
EPS beat(16)11
Avg EPS beat(16)4.23%
Revenue beat(2)1
Avg Revenue beat(2)2.15%
Min Revenue beat(2)-0.17%
Max Revenue beat(2)4.47%
Revenue beat(4)3
Avg Revenue beat(4)4.34%
Min Revenue beat(4)-0.17%
Max Revenue beat(4)7.77%
Revenue beat(8)5
Avg Revenue beat(8)2.53%
Revenue beat(12)6
Avg Revenue beat(12)-2.95%
Revenue beat(16)10
Avg Revenue beat(16)2.77%
PT rev (1m)1.11%
PT rev (3m)3.01%
EPS NQ rev (1m)0.54%
EPS NQ rev (3m)-4.01%
EPS NY rev (1m)-0.01%
EPS NY rev (3m)-0.22%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)0%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)0.27%
Revenue NY rev (1m)-0.56%
Revenue NY rev (3m)3.58%
Valuation
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 21.98 | ||
| Fwd PE | 20.09 | ||
| P/S | 3.61 | ||
| P/FCF | N/A | ||
| P/OCF | 10.87 | ||
| P/B | 2.96 | ||
| P/tB | 3.49 | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 13.28 |
EPS(TTM)4.3
EY4.55%
EPS(NY)4.71
Fwd EY4.98%
FCF(TTM)-2.6
FCFYN/A
OCF(TTM)8.7
OCFY9.2%
SpS26.21
BVpS31.95
TBVpS27.1
PEG (NY)2.33
PEG (5Y)3.82
Graham Number55.5973 (-41.17%)
Profitability
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | 2.79% | ||
| ROE | 12.05% | ||
| ROCE | 5.25% | ||
| ROIC | 4.3% | ||
| ROICexc | 4.36% | ||
| ROICexgc | 4.53% | ||
| OM | 24.65% | ||
| PM (TTM) | 14.69% | ||
| GM | 88.95% | ||
| FCFM | N/A |
ROA(3y)2.89%
ROA(5y)2.63%
ROE(3y)12.65%
ROE(5y)11.61%
ROIC(3y)4.15%
ROIC(5y)4%
ROICexc(3y)4.19%
ROICexc(5y)4.04%
ROICexgc(3y)4.37%
ROICexgc(5y)4.23%
ROCE(3y)5.09%
ROCE(5y)4.91%
ROICexgc growth 3Y3.03%
ROICexgc growth 5Y2.27%
ROICexc growth 3Y3.28%
ROICexc growth 5Y2.54%
OM growth 3Y7.89%
OM growth 5Y-0.48%
PM growth 3Y6.87%
PM growth 5Y-0.82%
GM growth 3Y2.36%
GM growth 5Y-0.17%
F-Score4
Asset Turnover0.19
Health
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 1.84 | ||
| Debt/FCF | N/A | ||
| Debt/EBITDA | 4.98 | ||
| Cap/Depr | 211.23% | ||
| Cap/Sales | 43.1% | ||
| Interest Coverage | 2.71 | ||
| Cash Conversion | 73.62% | ||
| Profit Quality | N/A | ||
| Current Ratio | 0.65 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.45 | ||
| Altman-Z | 0.97 |
F-Score4
WACC6.68%
ROIC/WACC0.64
Cap/Depr(3y)187.9%
Cap/Depr(5y)188.18%
Cap/Sales(3y)37.54%
Cap/Sales(5y)34.2%
Profit Quality(3y)N/A
Profit Quality(5y)N/A
High Growth Momentum
Growth
EPS 1Y (TTM)5.91%
EPS 3Y6%
EPS 5Y5.76%
EPS Q2Q%10%
EPS Next Y9.42%
EPS Next 2Y8.55%
EPS Next 3Y8.64%
EPS Next 5Y8%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)10.58%
Revenue growth 3Y0.31%
Revenue growth 5Y7.72%
Sales Q2Q%10.09%
Revenue Next Year8.18%
Revenue Next 2Y6.87%
Revenue Next 3Y6.63%
Revenue Next 5Y6.8%
EBIT growth 1Y3.38%
EBIT growth 3Y8.23%
EBIT growth 5Y7.2%
EBIT Next Year83.92%
EBIT Next 3Y30.23%
EBIT Next 5Y20.51%
FCF growth 1Y-452.34%
FCF growth 3YN/A
FCF growth 5YN/A
OCF growth 1Y0.14%
OCF growth 3Y15.86%
OCF growth 5Y7.92%
SOUTHERN CO/THE / SO Fundamental Analysis 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.
Can you provide the profitability details for SOUTHERN CO/THE?
SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) has a profitability rating of 7 / 10.
How financially healthy is SOUTHERN CO/THE?
The financial health rating of SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) is 1 / 10.
What is the expected EPS growth for SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) stock?
The Earnings per Share (EPS) of SOUTHERN CO/THE (SO) is expected to grow by 9.42% in the next year.