Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target

$82.86 +1.08 (+1.32%)

(As of 12/20/2024 05:45 PM ET)

Southern - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

Consensus Rating

Hold

Based on 15 Analyst Ratings

Sell
1

Hold
8

Buy
6

Based on 15 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Southern in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 15 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 8 have given a hold rating, and 6 have given a buy rating for SO.

Consensus Price Target

$90.14
8.79% Upside

According to the 15 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Southern, the average price target is $90.14. The highest price target for SO is $98.00, while the lowest price target for SO is $80.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 8.79% from the current price of $82.86.

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SO Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 12/22/23 to 12/21/24	1 Month Ago 11/22/23 to 11/21/24	3 Months Ago 9/23/23 to 9/22/24	1 Year Ago 12/22/22 to 12/22/23
Strong Buy	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	6 Buy rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)
Hold	8 Hold rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)
Sell	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	2 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$90.14	$89.27	$86.33	$73.00
Forecasted Upside	8.79% Upside	1.28% Upside	-3.75% Downside	5.10% Upside
Consensus Rating	Hold	Hold	Hold	Hold

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SO Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.

SO Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.

Southern Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Southern	Utilities Companies	S&P 500
Consensus Rating Score	2.33	2.53	2.51
Consensus Rating	Hold	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	8.79% Upside	28.89% Upside	14.54% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Positive News See Recent SO News	Positive News	Positive News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

Export to Excel

Date	Brokerage	Analyst Name	Action	Rating	Price Target	Upside/Downside on Report Date
12/12/2024	Scotiabank 5 of 5 stars		Boost Target	Sector Outperform ➝ Sector Outperform	$96.00 ➝ $98.00	+16.64%
11/22/2024	Morgan Stanley 3 of 5 stars		Lower Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$88.00 ➝ $85.00	-3.62%
11/1/2024	BMO Capital Markets 4 of 5 stars		Lower Target	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$99.00 ➝ $97.00	+8.70%
10/15/2024	Barclays Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$71.00 ➝ $83.00	-8.83%
10/2/2024	Guggenheim Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$93.00 ➝ $97.00	+6.22%
9/20/2024	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$90.00 ➝ $91.00	+1.84%
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9/20/2024	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Hold	$94.00	+5.77%
9/16/2024	Mizuho Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	A. Crowdell Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Outperform ➝ Neutral	$90.00 ➝ $90.00	+0.63%
8/29/2024	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$86.00 ➝ $87.00	+1.78%
8/12/2024	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Underweight ➝ Underweight	$80.00 ➝ $87.00	+0.16%
8/2/2024	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$77.00 ➝ $89.00	+1.49%
8/2/2024	The Goldman Sachs Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$83.00 ➝ $94.00	+7.27%
8/2/2024	Wolfe Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	S. Fleishman Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Outperform ➝ Peer Perform
5/15/2024	Argus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy ➝ Buy	$75.00 ➝ $90.00	+13.42%
2/21/2024	Royal Bank of Canada Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Outperform ➝ Outperform	$80.00	+18.82%
12/8/2023	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Buy	$82.00	+14.45%
8/9/2023	LADENBURG THALM/SH SH Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Buy	$72.00	+4.64%
4/28/2023	VNET Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Maintains
1/18/2023	Credit Suisse Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Underperform	$60.00 ➝ $70.00	-0.07%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 11:46 AM ET.

Should I Buy Southern Stock? SO Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Please send any questions or comments about these Southern pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Southern
Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in The Southern Company:

The Southern Company recently announced a dividend of $0.72 per share, which translates to an annualized dividend of $2.88. This consistent dividend payment can provide a reliable income stream for investors.
The current dividend yield stands at 3.42%, which is attractive compared to many other investment options, indicating a good return on investment for shareholders.
Analysts have shown a generally positive outlook, with several firms raising their price targets for the stock, including Guggenheim, which increased its target from $93.00 to $97.00, reflecting confidence in the company's growth potential.
The Southern Company has a relatively low payout ratio of 66.98%, suggesting that it retains a significant portion of its earnings for reinvestment, which can support future growth and stability.
With a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $90.00, the stock is viewed as stable, making it a potentially safer investment in the utility sector.

Southern
Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in The Southern Company for these reasons:

Despite the positive outlook from some analysts, one analyst has issued a sell rating, indicating potential concerns about the stock's performance.
Some analysts have downgraded their ratings, such as Mizuho, which lowered its rating from "outperform" to "neutral," suggesting a more cautious approach to the stock.
The stock price has seen fluctuations, and while it has a target price of $90.00, the current market conditions could lead to volatility, which may not be suitable for all investors.
With a significant portion of earnings being paid out as dividends, there may be less capital available for expansion or investment in new projects, which could limit growth opportunities.
The utility sector can be heavily influenced by regulatory changes and economic conditions, which may pose risks to The Southern Company's profitability and stock performance.

SO Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

: According to the research reports of 15 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Southern is $90.14, with a high forecast of $98.00 and a low forecast of $80.00.
: 15 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Southern in the last year. There is currently 1 sell rating, 8 hold ratings and 6 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" SO shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in SO, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.
: According to analysts, Southern's stock has a predicted upside of 8.79% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.
: Southern has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Guggenheim, Morgan Stanley, and Scotiabank in the past 90 days.
: Analysts like Southern less than other "utilities" companies. The consensus rating for Southern is Hold while the average consensus rating for "utilities" companies is Moderate Buy. Learn more on how SO compares to other companies.

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This page (NYSE:SO) was last updated on 12/21/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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Southern (SO) Stock Forecast & Price Target