Southern Co. (SO) reported $8.4 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 8%. EPS of $1.32 for the same period compares to $1.23 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.09 billion, representing a surprise of +3.81%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +9.09%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.21.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Southern Co. performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:- Operating Revenues- Southern Company Natural Gas: $2.19 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.93 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +19.1%.
- Operating Revenues- Southern Power: $681 million compared to the $661.7 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +20.1% year over year.
- Operating Revenues- Natural Gas revenues: $2.19 billion compared to the $1.93 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +19.1% year over year.
- Net Income Available to Common- Southern Power: $4 million versus $110.28 million estimated by two analysts on average.
- Net Income Available to Common- Southern Company Gas: $447 million versus $466.88 million estimated by two analysts on average.
View all Key Company Metrics for Southern Co. here>>>
Shares of Southern Co. have returned -3.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +12.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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