In the latest market close, Southern Co. (SO - Free Report) reached $69.25, with a +0.98% movement compared to the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.03%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.34%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.51%.
The the stock of power company has risen by 2.43% in the past month, lagging the Utilities sector's gain of 2.77% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.21%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Southern Co. in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.91, up 15.19% from the prior-year quarter. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $7.02 billion, indicating an 8.35% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $4.01 per share and revenue of $27.89 billion. These totals would mark changes of +9.86% and +10.43%, respectively, from last year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Southern Co. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 0.06% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Southern Co. is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.
Looking at valuation, Southern Co. is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.11. This denotes a premium relative to the industry's average Forward P/E of 14.41.
Meanwhile, SO's PEG ratio is currently 4.28. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Utility - Electric Power industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.6.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 172, finds itself in the bottom 32% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
4 Oil Stocks with Massive Upsides
Global demand for oil is through the roof... and oil producers are struggling to keep up. So even though oil prices are well off their recent highs, you can expect big profits from the companies that supply the world with "black gold."
Zacks Investment Research has just released an urgent special report to help you bank on this trend.
In Oil Market on Fire, you'll discover 4 unexpected oil and gas stocks positioned for big gains in the coming weeks and months. You don't want to miss these recommendations.
Download your free report now to see them.
In the latest market close, Southern Co. (SO - Free Report) reached $69.25, with a +0.98% movement compared to the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.03%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.34%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.51%.
The the stock of power company has risen by 2.43% in the past month, lagging the Utilities sector's gain of 2.77% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.21%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Southern Co. in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.91, up 15.19% from the prior-year quarter. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $7.02 billion, indicating an 8.35% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $4.01 per share and revenue of $27.89 billion. These totals would mark changes of +9.86% and +10.43%, respectively, from last year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Southern Co. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 0.06% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Southern Co. is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.
Looking at valuation, Southern Co. is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.11. This denotes a premium relative to the industry's average Forward P/E of 14.41.
Meanwhile, SO's PEG ratio is currently 4.28. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Utility - Electric Power industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.6.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 172, finds itself in the bottom 32% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
4 Oil Stocks with Massive Upsides
Global demand for oil is through the roof... and oil producers are struggling to keep up. So even though oil prices are well off their recent highs, you can expect big profits from the companies that supply the world with "black gold."
Zacks Investment Research has just released an urgent special report to help you bank on this trend.
In Oil Market on Fire, you'll discover 4 unexpected oil and gas stocks positioned for big gains in the coming weeks and months. You don't want to miss these recommendations.
Download your free report now to see them.
Get the latest research report on SO - FREE