Southern (SO) Declares $0.70 Dividend

Southern said on April 17, 2023 that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share ($2.80 annualized). Previously, the company paid $0.68 per share.

Shares must be purchased before the ex-div date of May 12, 2023 to qualify for the dividend. Shareholders of record as of May 15, 2023 will receive the payment on June 6, 2023.

At the current share price of $72.34 / share, the stock's dividend yield is 3.87%. Looking back five years and taking a sample every week, the average dividend yield has been 4.36%, the lowest has been 3.39%, and the highest has been 5.74%. The standard deviation of yields is 0.54 (n=237).

The current dividend yield is 0.90 standard deviations below the historical average.

Additionally, the company's dividend payout ratio is 0.84. The payout ratio tells us how much of a company's income is paid out in dividends. A payout ratio of one (1.0) means 100% of the company's income is paid in a dividend. A payout ratio greater than one means the company is dipping into savings in order to maintain its dividend - not a healthy situation. Companies with few growth prospects are expected to pay out most of their income in dividends, which typically means a payout ratio between 0.5 and 1.0. Companies with good growth prospects are expected to retain some earnings in order to invest in those growth prospects, which translates to a payout ratio of zero to 0.5.

The company's 3-Year dividend growth rate is 0.10%, demonstrating that it has increased its dividend over time.

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What is the Fund Sentiment?

There are 2638 funds or institutions reporting positions in Southern. This is an increase of 33 owner(s) or 1.27% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to SO is 0.32%, a decrease of 17.87%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 0.96% to 780,810K shares. The put/call ratio of SO is 0.68, indicating a bullish outlook.

Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 0.11% Downside

As of April 6, 2023, the average one-year price target for Southern is $72.26. The forecasts range from a low of $57.57 to a high of $82.95. The average price target represents a decrease of 0.11% from its latest reported closing price of $72.34.

See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.

The projected annual revenue for Southern is $26,553MM, a decrease of 9.31%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is $3.88.

What are Other Shareholders Doing?

FNKLX - Fidelity Series Value Discovery Fund holds 1,377K shares representing 0.13% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 1,324K shares, representing an increase of 3.83%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 0.81% over the last quarter.

FSKAX - Fidelity Total Market Index Fund holds 1,777K shares representing 0.16% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 1,739K shares, representing an increase of 2.09%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 14.30% over the last quarter.

Tranquility Partners holds 4K shares representing 0.00% ownership of the company. No change in the last quarter.

CATH - Global X S&P 500 Catholic Values ETF holds 20K shares representing 0.00% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 18K shares, representing an increase of 8.98%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 1.58% over the last quarter.

Cresset Asset Management holds 12K shares representing 0.00% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 13K shares, representing a decrease of 10.81%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in SO by 52.08% over the last quarter.

Southern Background Information
(This description is provided by the company.)

Southern Company brings energy to homes and businesses across the country. The company mades its name as a leading producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, and it approaches each day as a vital step in building the future of energy. It's always looking ahead, and innovations in the industry—from new nuclear to deployment of electric transportation and renewables —helps brighten the lives and businesses of millions of customers nationwide.

This story originally appeared on Fintel.